Negative Force
by kelvin51
Summary: In an alternative universe, the Jedi Order destroy the Sith for good, but not for the right reasons. In this verse, the Sith are good while the Jedi Order are bent on ruling the galaxy through fear and destruction. With only a handful of Sith alive, a Sith Tyranus is the galaxy's last hope in defeating the corrupt Jedi Order.
1. In this verse (Prologue)

Negative Force

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**Disclaimer: I don't own _Star Wars: the Clone Wars_ or any of its characters, worlds and content. Disney owns the billion dollar franchise.**

**What I do own is the plot, story-frame and ideas of this story.**

**Content warning: Rated T for language and themes. **

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_Prologue_

**In this verse**

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In an _alternative _galaxy far… far away…

It has been many years since the end of the war that nearly ended it all. A war that was sparked between opposing sides of the Force, the Light Side and the Dark Side. The Yin and Yang that is the general make up of cosmic energy, wielded by people who possess the 'gift' in harnessing such energy. These beings are called _Jedi_. They were galactic peacekeepers always on the prowl for justice and equality for all sentient beings across the galaxy as well as many others beyond. Although, sometime during the Great Conflict, the Jedi had become… something else, something sinister…

Exploiting the powers of the Force they pushed their limits until they became the most powerful warriors in the galaxy. But power can corrupt; even the most humble of all Jedi have fallen into the deep dark pit of which was the Dark Side. Tricked into believing they can tame the Dark Side itself, foolish they were. No one can become one with the Light or one with the Dark—it's simply preposterous. It allows you to learn its ways, not _be _one with it.

It was a time, that being a Jedi was the highest honor anyone was given. You simply couldn't just walk into the temple and become a Jedi… you were _born _to be a Jedi. Molded by the Force you were and how to handle it the masters sought to show us. But it was at the darkest times when it had come clear to my attention that the Jedi were no longer what they swore to be. No… the Order had changed under my feet, becoming something… grotesques—a Hellspawn of evil bent on ruling the galaxy through fear.

My duty at the temple was simple enough. I was naturally tied to the Force in ways that outmatched the Jedi pretentious. So instead of making me a Padawan or Knight, I was a _Force Weaver_, a subgroup of Jedi who were more monk than pacifist warrior. _Force Weavers _could determine the future fate of the Order and what is to come if we make certain decisions that literally can change the fabric of the universe and time itself. It was a challenging responsibly knowing that you control the fate of entire group of people, almost felt godlike. But I as well as other Force Weavers didn't allow the power to go to our heads. Instead our counterparts, the Jedi, practically used us to bend the will of the cosmos to their usage.

Knowing such power is extremely dangerous beyond comprehension, the Galactic Senate did nothing in stopping the Jedi from taking power and control, because years later I found out in fact the Senate were in bed with the Jedi. That it was their plan all along to exploit the people of the Republic, to take full control of an entire galaxy full of billions of people. But who was going to stop them? The Jedi alone can take over an entire star system in half a cycle. But it grew worse than I could have ever imagine…

On top of that, the Senate poured billions of galactic credits on a super-secret clone army to insure constant control over the citizens. With the aid of the Jedi and their newly found ally, the Dark Side, they used their twisted powers to create Jedi capable clones. Weak in the Force but are formidable fighters.

After the twisted Jedi took over the galaxy along with the Senate turned, _League of Dictators. _I, Tyranus along with fellow other Force Weavers turned to an ancient order killed long ago by the Jedi. The Sith Order, once wielders of the Dark Side turned Light, of whom were systematically destroyed one by one by corrupted Jedi Knights during the war that raged almost a hundred cycles.

Though years have passed and many friends of mine are no more. The Jedi have exterminated the people who hold the Force gift of foretold and are currently engaging in a campaign to rid my kind from the galaxy all together. As of now, I am currently the last Force Weaver. But I am enough to turn the tables on this corrupted galaxy and hopefully put balance into the Force once and for all.

But I can't do this alone. As I write this letter, I sense the Dark Jedi closing on my position. Which is why I tell you now, whom ever stumbles upon this message, you too are the galaxy's last hope in redemption. May the Force be your guide… always.

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**This chapter is pretty much showing the alternative universe of Count Dooku (Tyranus) as a good guy writing a letter explaining how screwed up the galaxy is thanks to the Jedi Order falling to the Dark Side. I hope you guys enjoy this excerpt and tell what you think.**


	2. Sabotage on Mustafar

**_Part I_**

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_Chapter I_

**Sabotage on Mustafar**

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Sailing through the darkness of space, a small transport being propelled by a golden space sail twice its size speeds for the dark red surface of Mustafar. A volcanic world where the heat is unbearable, the putrid stench of sulfur ash lingers in the high atmosphere. This world is the closes to Hell any living soul will encounter.

Steering the ship towards the planet, a small reptilian being clamps the Y shape yoke in his thick scaly hands. His complexion a light red and rough with scales and thick clumps of flesh that make up his skin. Tusks protrude out from his chin while a smaller pair jets out from his lower lip. The reptilian being keeps his large droopy yellow eyes on the windshield on its approach to Mustafar's dark side.

"Slow your approach, Qymaen," A white haired Human male speaks sitting in the passenger seat next to him. "We don't want to break up in the atmosphere."

"We won't if we had brought another ship unlike this feeble craft!" The reptilian being sneers in a graveling voice eerily similar to his evil half machine self in an alternative universe. "It may even be a blessing they we die on entry, beats being decapitated by those laser sword maniacs!—No offence…"

"I plan on keeping my head, Qymaen. And if we succeed with our mission… we'll save countless lives from the _Dark Legion Empire_." The older Human replies.

"And what makes you so sure that this will work Tyranus? This could be a suicide mission."

"Everything we do is a _suicide_ mission," Tyranus chuckles shutting his eyes and leaning back in his seat. "Which is why I consulted your alliance Qymaen, you're the only man who doesn't fear the Dark Legion."

"A Kaleesh fears no man!" Qymaen announces proudly. "And it's the least I can do for the man who assisted my people in battle against the Huk. You are forever in my debt, Tyranus. For however long we've got left to live…"

Tyranus can't help the smile growing on his face. He and Qymaen have been friends since the Jedi Order turned evil 23 years ago. It was by the Force that the two met. Tyranus and a handful of Force Weavers were being hunted across the galaxy by the Jedi. They were the last of their kind when they found shelter under the Kaleesh people on Kalee. A deeply religious people who believe in traditional burials and a warrior backbone that even the Jedi admired.

In their time of hiding from the newly established Dark Legion Empire, the former Jedi found themselves locked in a war between two races on Kalee, between the native Kaleeshs and beings called the Huk. With the Force Weaver's help, they managed to stop the Huk from plunging Kalee in darkness.

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Touching down on a piece of stable land on the Mustafar lava lake, the two disembark from the craft and step foot on the surface. Reaching into his traditional Sith robes, Tyranus takes a pair of binoculars and scans the blood red horizons.

Qymaen waits impatiently behind the old Human folding his arms in front of his chest. "Have you found what you seek?" He asks.

"Not yet…" Tyranus sighs stilling scanning with the electronic binoculars. "We may have landed in the wrong location." He lowers the binoculars and faces Qymaen, "I fear the base may be out of our reach."

"This is the closes we can get Tyranus, without the Jedi knowing of our presence."

Feeling for the Force, Tyranus sense what he has come all this way for close by. Looking in his binoculars again, he focuses on the Force rather his eyes. Looking straight ahead, a thick sulfur plum clears out the way revealing a structure out in the distance. "There it is… the clone factory…"

The Force Weaver's hunch was right; he has discovered one of many secret outpost the Dark Legion are using to create their plentiful army of clone troopers. This was the right place; no one would ever suspect an almost uninhabitable planet would be the likely location for the Empire to create these emotionless killing machines. Already they're millions across the galaxy being led by their Jedi commanders. This is where Tyranus draws the line, for now at least.

The cloning facility is heavily guarded by clone Stormtroopers. Dressed in their all white armor resembling plastic, helmets that encapsulate their heads making it hard to decipher one from the other. But somehow clones can tell the difference from field commander to grunt. In the process of their creation, the masters of cloning the Kaminoians outfitted certain clones with pheromones that resemble strong leadership characteristics. Lower class clones remain permanently subordinated to their captains, as well to their Jedi commanders.

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Tyranus and Qymaen sneak into the facility bypassing the clone guards with ease, since Stormtroopers possess a weak mind that is easily compromised. Finding their way to the cloning banks, Qymaen using his lightsaber, a gift from Tyranus, to cut a hole in the security door leading to the gene banks. "We must hurry; they will be upon us soon!" Tyranus speaks running through the molted hole and to the clone vats.

"Let them come! I will cut them down one by one with my lightsaber!" Qymaen vaunts extinguishing his green saber blade.

Without wasting anytime, Tyranus runs over to the alpha vat, the largest clone chamber that the others splice from. Reaching into his robes, he takes a small clear tube of red liquid in his hand and inserts it into a port hole at the lower lip of the chamber.

"What is that stuff you're putting in the clone chamber?" Qymaen questions, "will it kill the remainders of these abominations?"

"Yes and no my friend," Tyranus replies typing a sequence into a nearby computer interface. "If Dr. Vindi's calculations were correct… this virus will rewrite the gene coding that all clones share, making them defective and out of action." He finishes typing the sequence and the red liquid disperses into the large chamber, changing its deep blue content into a shallow red.

"That's a waste of time!" Qymaen objects, "the Dark Legion will just destroy this batch of clones and restart."

"You're right, they will," Tyranus agrees, "but they'll also have to recalibrate the entire system. That'll set them back a few months or so…"

Suddenly, a series of ear splintering alarms set off startling the two. Sensing a threating presence approaching, Tyranous can see it clear as day. Three robed figures heading their way with a squad of Stormtroopers in toe. "They're on too us…"

"You think?" Qymaen replies sarcastically. "Back to ship…"

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Breaking in a run down a long empty corridor in the facility, the repercussion of the alarm flowing through their ears, Tyranus and Qymaen can see the red hot light at the end of the corridor leading outside.

Cutting their taste of freedom and replacing it with despair, a series of doors begin to hiss shut behind them. "Keep moving Tyranus… or you'll be cut in half!" Qymaen warns.

Looking over his shoulder while running as fast as his old legs can go, Tyranus sees the doors slamming shut behind him, following up like some sick horror movie.

Knowing that he isn't going to make it out in time, he stops dead in his tracks while Qymaen continues on before stopping too. "What are you doing!? There's no time to meditate you fool—let's go!" The Kaleesh spits.

Unknown to him, the Force Weaver is building his Force energy for a tremendous push. Holding his energy within as it builds over like boiling water, he opens his eyes, "you owe me one again… old friend."

Knowing what Tyranus is about to do, Qymaen attempts to stop him. But it's too late; the Force Weaver unleashes a wave of energy that sends the reptilian 30 feet back clear of the slamming metal doors and outside, leaving Tyranus trapped in the facility.

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Standing on his feet, Qymaen runs to the sealed blast door, "Tyranus…!? Tyranus you blasted old fool!" He curses slamming his scaly fist on the metal surface. "Why do you always have to be a hero…?"

Descending out of the smog filled atmosphere, a clone transport makes a landing on the facility where Qymaen stands. Walking off the craft, two robed figures approach the Kaleesh. Holding his ground, he watches as they stop 10 feet before him. "So… you're the one who has been causing all of this trouble?" One of the figures speaks sounding like a female. Falling out from the sides of her hood are two long head tails, white with blue stripes running horizontally. The other figure's face is shrouded in darkness, but even from this distance, Qymaen can tell it's also female.

"Clearly this simpleton isn't acting alone…" the other figure speaks, "I sense someone close by… someone strong in the Force… and it isn't this feeble being…"

Aggravated by her words, Qymaen activates his lightsaber, "you want to find out, young one?"

The other robed figure laughs coldly, "a lightsaber is only good as its wilder's understanding in the Force…" The woman removes her hood revealing a burnt orange skinned Togruta. "And your understanding is limited… Take him down, Apprentice Offee."

Removing her hood, Barriss Offee reveals her face, with eyes gleaming full hatred of the Dark Side as much as her master's, Shaak Ti. "As you wish, my master…" she activates her two lighstabers in each of her hands, glowing red as Mustafar's fire.

Qymaen is taken back feeling the young girl's intense hatred, but he's a Kaleesh warrior, and he'll fight to his last breath no matter who his opponent is. Gripping his lightsaber with both hands, he grits his teeth and widens his stance, "When I defeat you… I'll add your lightsabers to my collection… _Jedi!_"

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**So I'm guess you all know who Qymaen's (pronounced 'keyman') alternative-self is…**


	3. Dark Side Unleashed

**_Part I_**

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_Chapter II_

**Dark Side Unleashed**

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Trapped between two blast doors, Tyranus contemplates his options of escape. Now he hears the stomp of Stormtrooper boots speeding his way, meaning those three hooded figures are leading them towards his position.

Building an intense energy of Force, Tyranus feet leave the floor as he is taken up by the Force energy. Collapsing himself in a tight ball, he holds on to the energy until no longer possible. Letting go of the Force from within, he unleashes a devastating wave pealing the metal door open large enough to slip through.

By the time of his escape, the Stormtroopers arrive along with the three robed figures. Simultaneously, the robed figures draw their hoods off their heads. Two Humans and a Twi'lek, all in their teenage to young adult years of age. One of the Humans is a dark skinned male with a low cut fade and a goatee in the clef of his chin. The other Human is female, with vanilla colored skin and brown silky hair with a trim of black at the ends. The Twi'lek is also female with florescent blue skin with soft and smooth features. Each one of them has striking yellow eyes full off the Dark Side rushing through their artificially constructed veins.

The dozen Stormtroopers investigate the mangled steel Tyranus left in his escape. The three Dark Jedi pick up an excessive amount of lingering Force energy, "commanders…" A Stormtrooper starts getting half the Jedi attention. "Motion sensors are picking up movement in the hanger bay, sirs. It may be our target… he may be trying to escape in one of the transports."

A long pause follows after. Neither of the Dark Jedi acknowledges the trooper's statement, making him feel somewhat guilty for speaking up.

Then, the brown haired Human replies in the silence, "it's a diversion…" she speaks in a monotone. "We're not dealing with some _ordinary_ individual… clone."

"It's a Sith," the dark skinned Human adds. "A Sith survivor."

Under his headgear, the clone's eyes widen at that word 'Sith', as it is programmed in his mind that anytime that word is given is to automatically be ready to shoot and kill the suspected target. "Should we place the entire facility on full lockdown then?" The trooper asks nervously.

The Twi'lek chuckles then says, "it's a _Sith_, clone. He's at his best when he's trapped in a metal box. We'll just have to find him and kill him ourselves."

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Hoping his tripping of the motion sensors in the hanger bay will buy him some time, Tyranus finds himself in a cloning chamber that the Jedi and the Dark Legion try to keep in the dark from the rest of the galaxy. The Jedi cloning laboratory.

A dark murky place located under the main cloning labs, a place haunted by the Dark Side. Tyranus can't keep his eyes from wondering in horror. As he walks a row of vats holding different templates of Jedi clones from every race in the galaxy. He starts to wonder how the League of Dictators are even capable of funding such of an expensive project. The amount of diversity and precision frightens Tyranus, that the Jedi have gone this far to make sure their somewhat-equal clone army do not share a similar look or DNA makeup. For if they had done that, the Jedi clones would have shared a rare occurrence in regular Jedi called a Force Bound. Which could enable two Jedi to share emotions, memories, strengths and weakness as well as personalities at times. But giving these… soulless creatures a singular identity will give them a false sense of a purpose… a destiny, when they are all but expendable. Truly, the powers of the Dark Side at its best.

His Force reach is blocked by the immense disruption of Force energy radiating from the multiple Jedi clones. Everything's so out of tune… clouded with so much darkness that a Master of the Force and all its wonders can't get a glimpse of how his partner is doing. _He may very well have already taken off with my ship._ Tyranus chuckles at that thought. The Kaleesh is bold enough to leave a friend he'd known for 16 years on a smoldering rock with hundreds of Stormtroopers and Jedi capable clones. But if the Force Weaver can sustain enough focus to read the Force, he'll know that his friend is battling for his life.

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Shaak Ti watches as her Dark Jedi Padawan comes down with a devastating blow on Qymaen. Luckily, the Kaleesh blocks her aerial attack thrusting her back. Holding his ground, he waits for the Jedi to attack again, though this time she uses the Force, lifting him high off the ground and into the air.

Having no Force capabilities what-so-ever, Qymaen kicks and struggles trying to fight Barriss' Force grip pitching his body. But it's no use. She slams him hard against the metal door back first, allowing his body to peel off like a dry sticker.

Qymaen falls hard on his ribs, though he breaks his fall with his hands. His lightsaber lands just an arm's reach away and he grabs it standing back to his feet igniting it once more. "Is that… the best you can do…? "Jedi scum!" The Kaleesh taunts between breaths.

"I haven't even begun to show my true powers, creature!" Barriss offends. "In a way, I'm kind of holding back…"

"Is that so" Qymaen chuckles. "That's not what I saw earlier…"

"Enough words!" Shaak Ti interrupts projecting her voice, "Kill him now Barriss, he's a waste of time—our true enemy lies inside the cloning facility!"

Approaching Qymaen with an etched smile across her face, Barriss engages once more, bringing both her lightsabers up for another strike against the Kaleesh.

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Tyranus steps lightly while trying to find a way out the Jedi cloning lab. The laboratory is literally the size of the entire facility, with thousands of clone Jedi floating in vats full of multicolor liquids.

Passing by one chamber, in the corner of his eye, Tyranus spots a figure standing on top of the vat. He snaps his neck in that direction seeing nothing in particular. He hasn't realized how poor his natural senses are, he has developed a constant connection with the Force, that without it he feels naked. He feels like a child that has lost grip of his mother's hand in a sea of unknown people and has went searching for his mother's warmth, his guide and protector… the Force.

Walking once more, he takes one step forward, when he feels a sudden unnatural feeling of his foot not connecting with the floor, suspended in the air by some unknown means. He tries to move his body, when he becomes harden as bronze. Even his eyes cease to twitch. "Going somewhere, Sith?" A voice echos from in front of him.

Standing on three cloning vats, looking down at Tyranus, the Dark Jedi trio has caught up to him. Running their way, a dozen armed Stormtroopers take aim but hold fire, "shall we kill the Sith, my lords?" The clone captain asks.

"No, I have this one…" the Human female Jedi replies. Using her powers in the Force, she raises Tyranus high off the floor. "I'll make his death a slow one…" Clamping her hands together as if trying to squeeze a ball, she channels all her Force energy in an attempt to crush Tyranus.

Feeling the Jedi's Force smashing his body from every angle, Tyranus digs deep into himself for the Force to counteract hers.

Losing her connection with the Force, the Jedi calls out to her friends in assisting her effort in crushing the Sith. All three combine their Force energy and surround it upon Tyranus' body. The tremendous pressure squeezes the air right out of the Sith's lungs. He hears his bones shifting and cracking to the point of shattering, the blood in his body shoots up to his head straining his focus to the point he feels like giving up. But the Force Weaver digs deeper into himself, and finds the hidden source of energy within.

Tyranus unleashes a Force wave unlike any other. The sheer force of the energy blast sends the frighten Stormtroopers flying the opposite direction crashing into metal girders, and vat chambers incapacitating them.

The three Jedi clones stumble back but use the Force to keep their bodies balanced on the vats. Tyranus falls free of their deadly Force grasps landing perfectly on his feet. The three Jedi sense the sudden surge of energy flowing through the Sith, they know he outmatches them one by one, but lightsaber wise, they may have a chance.

Extending out of their hands, a gleaming blade of a lightsaber jets out from their palms. Tyranus isn't surprised, all Jedi clones have a lightsaber crystal surgically implanted in their hands, their arms act as a lightsaber's hilt with all its internal components.

Tyranus reaches for his lightsaber and ignites the blue blade and holds it ready to take the three Jedi on.

Springing off the vats, the Jedi attack simultaneously in a ruthless flurry of saber slashes on the Sith. Keeping a steady pace with his footing as well as his handle on the lightsaber, Tyranus blocks the multiple attacks from Jedi as they try a classic ambush style from all angels; much like what the Sith did when they were in the Dark Side.

Tyranus ducks low, the Jedi blades all snap together as he slips between the Twi'lek's legs using the Force to propel himself like a missile to safety. The three Jedi stay up on the Sith, he uses the Force and thrust the dark skinned Human a few feet back.

The two female Jedi hesitate before attack the old man. Already, knowing their attacks, he blocks with ease making the Jedi furious. They slam their lightsabers heavy on Tyranus' saber. Though he keeps pace with the young Jedi using the Force to absorb some of their relentless blows.

Finally, the Sith pars both their blades and channels enough Force for a push, sending both Jedi back. "That's it!" The Twi'lek cries out in full hatred. "Get in formation now!" The three Jedi stand shoulder to shoulder channeling an immense Force energy sending the hairs on the back of Tyranus' neck to stand up.

Exhausting their lightsaber blades, the Jedi close their eyes and outreach their arms and extend their fingers as far as they can. Sucking in their guts and arching their shoulders back, a buildup of blue electricity sparks around them. Soon the electric energy becomes chaotic surrounding the Jedi in a flashing lightning storm.

Tyranus stands a good distance away watching the lights above twinkle and buzz from the sudden electric anomaly that he knows all too well is the cradle of the Dark Side. Fueled by hatred and anger… Force Lightning.

Soon, the lightning latches on to the Jedi. Opening her electric filled eyes, her silky hair flowing upward due to the intense electrical charge coursing in her body, the Human Jedi smiles sinisterly, "now you die, Sith!"

At the same time, the three Jedi unleash a single lightning bolt, purple in color directly into Tyranus who is zapped off his feet and flung high over the vats. His body collides into the metal wall at the opposite end of the cloning chamber.

He collapses like a ragdoll to the floor with smoke rising from his motionless body. After lying still for a few seconds, Tyranus sucks air into his lungs regenerating his vitals. "Well… that was fun…" he sighs sarcastically rising up on his feet. "I'm getting way too old for this…" The Sith limps his way to the exit nearby, hoping to find a way off this hellish world before the Jedi catch up again.

* * *

Qymaen is knocked on his back as Barriss roundhouse kicks him across the face. Blood dripping from his bleeding mouth, eyes sight dazed, he staggers on the metal surface as the green skinned Jedi approaches ready to thrust her red twin lightsabers into his neck.

Locking eyes with the Kaleesh, she smiles gratefully knowing she'll be the last thing he sees before dying. Then, just as her blades are inches from his throat, her master Shaak Ti stops her. "Wait my apprentice. This creature may be of great use of us…" Barriss backs away stowing her blades as her master approaches Qymaen.

Shaak Ti uses the Force lifting the badly injured Kaleesh into the air and eye level to her. "I grant you a glimmer of mercy, creature, that's a rare occurrence… you tell me who your master is and I'll guarantee your safely."

"I don't have a master witch!" Qymaen spits. "You Jedi killed him long ago…"

"He's lying master!" Barriss burst out. "I sensed it… his master is nearby—"

"I know, Barriss. I'm not ignorant to the Force!" Shaak Ti erupts. She puts her attention back on Qymaen tightening her Force grip around his neck. "Tell me then… was it really worth coming here to this planet, knowing that we Jedi control it? What was going through your poor little head?"

"Stopping you, and your little army of brainless animals for one!" Qymaen replies. "Which I _succeeded _in…" The kaleeshain laughs knowing he might have spoken his last words.

Angered by his remarks, Shaak Ti guides Qymaen to a nearby lava river. Still laughing, the Kaleeshain knows the Jedi is going to kill him. Dipping him lower to the hot molten lake, Shaak Ti changes her mind in killing him, for he might hold vital Intel. Instead, she dips half his face into the molten rock searing a layer of flesh from his jaw.

Hearing his screams, she then tosses him back on the platform as he screams his lungs out holding his damaged face. "When he stops screaming, bring him to my Star Destroyer and tend to his wounds," she orders Stormtoopers standing by the transport.

"Yes my lady, as you wish," a Stormtrooper acknowledges as Shaak Ti and Barriss board the transport that takes off, leaving the squad of Stromtroopers watching Qymaen's agony.

Tyranus makes it outside facing little to no opposition. Holding his bruised ribs and limping weakly across a bridge spanning over a lava river, he sense a strong disturbance in the Force. Taking off in the distance, a black and chrome transport lifts into the air and zips off for the planet's atmosphere. He can sense Qymaen onboard, taken hostage by the Dark Empire. "Hold on old friend…" Tyranus breathes out, "I'm right behind you…"

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**Looks like Grievous—I mean, Qymaen has been taken fugitive by corrupt Jedi knight Shaak Ti and her equally insane Padawan Barriss Offee. What will Tyranus do now? Also next chapter, we'll be introducing Anakin, Obi-Wan and Ahsoka… but not the ones you think…**


	4. Heart of darkness

**_Part I_**

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_Chapter III_

**Heart of Darkness**

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Coruscant, a planet overgrown by a sprawling metropolis that was founded on the foundation of freedom and justice handed down by the fearless Jedi. Although that was many years ago, when Coruscant was the staging world for the Republic. A peaceful empire that was established by the Galactic Republic and enforced through pacifist actions by the Jedi.

Twenty three years ago, the statuesque had changed from defeating evil, to becoming evil itself. From a bird's eye view, Coruscant looks as it's always been for the past thousand years. On a street level that is, the point of view is inverted on its head.

Stormtroopers patrol the streets in their glistering white armor, corralling citizens into a nearby courtyard. This courtyard was the suspected meeting grounds of a group of extremist attempting to rebel against the Dark Legion Empire. Many of these civilians were just passing through minding their own business when the Stormtroopers accused them as looking suspicious.

Hundreds of civilians are crowded together with little moving space between their bodies. Such behavior is inhuman, but to insure the survival of their empire as well as 'peace,' the Stormtroopers will continue this behavior until the rightful perpetrators face full extent of the law.

In the bellows of the crowd, the feeling of uncertainty runs rapid through everyone's minds caught in this catastrophe of a failed uprising.

"What is going on…?"

"What did we do…?"

"We didn't do anything…" Is not even a glimmer of questions and thoughts of many frightened civilians are saying aloud.

Trapped in a box configuration inside the open courtyard market on one of Coruscant's lower levels, the Stormtroopers stand motionless facing the crowd that is full of despair. There's no way anyone is gonna run through sixty trained and deadly clone troopers without getting a laser bolt through their head. So they stay put, and wait… wait for whatever's in store for them.

Then, just as they were dropping their anxiety, a black and chrome Dark Legion craft hovers high over the market before descending down for a landing right smack in the middle of the crowd without warning. Frighten citizens clear out the way as the ship invades their space.

All eyes land on the ship as the doors slide open and outstep three figures dressed in robes. Jedi robes. Instantly, the citizens are petrified at the sight of the three Jedi, they assume whatever trouble they've got mixed up in must be a misunderstanding, because no one would dare cross a Jedi.

A frighten citizen approaches one of the robed Jedi, "please my lord… w-we… I haven't done anything to deserve this—" In midsentence, the citizen stops talking feeling a strong force clamping his throat shut. Gasping for air, he coughs and gags until his face swells in size. The other citizens just stare in fright unable to do anything.

The Jedi lets go of the man's throat allowing him to breathe, "_you_ don't deserve this…?" The Jedi speaks. "Then what do you deserve?" Removing his hood, the mid age Human male Jedi centers his yellow filled eyes on the hyperventilating citizen. "You don't have a say in this matter, next time you talk out of term… I won't be so merciful."

The other two Jedi remove their hoods as well. One is also a Human male, medium build and tall with brown silky hair. The other Jedi looks to be a Padawan or a Youngling, it's hard to tell given the way she carries herself. She's a female Togruta with half-length head tails, white with blue strips running horizontally like many in her race.

"It has occurred to us that there is an unexpected rebellion gathering in this level?" The bearded mid age Jedi speaks quieting everyone down. "There's no use in covering it up… for we are Jedi… we know when things are out of order. For it's our job to correct it. Now, to save our time… just point out the ones responsible, then all of you good people can go home."

None of the citizens say anything in reply, nervous to speak. The other Human Jedi steps forward, "your lord asked nicely… where are the men responsible for this gathering?" Again, nothing but silence follows. Gliding his yellow filled eyes across the crowd of people, the brown haired Jedi—the supposedly Chosen one of the Jedi Order, Anakin Skywalker, Force reads multiple people. Many of the thoughts the people hold are of concern and nothing else. Then, in the back of the crowd, Anakin reads something out of the ordinary. "Obi-Wan…" he speaks lowly to the brown beard Human Jedi.

With a point, Anakin indicates to the middle of the crowd. A line of citizens clear out the way, feeling his invisible force nudging them aside until a lone man stands in the formed gap. Neither of the Jedi needed the Force to know this young Human man is the one they came for.

"You… step forth," Obi-wan orders.

"_Me_? You mean _me_?" The Human questions pointing to himself.

"Who else…? State your name and business on level 2511."

The Human takes a nervous step back, "that's none of your business; you can't interrogate me in public— that's against the law!"

"We are the law, citizen," Obi-Wan sets straight, "and you should know better than to refuse an open question from your superiors. Now I ask you, one last time… what is your business on level 2511?"

Knowing the Jedi are on to him and boxed in by Stormtroopers, the Human does the unthinkable. Reaching behind him, he grabs a blaster that is stuffed in his pants and raises it at the Jedi. Dumb move.

Out of nowhere, a blue streak of electricity arks at the Human shocking the weapon out of his hand.

Staggering away in fear, the civilians clear way for the Togruta Jedi, the one who launched the Force Lighting upon the citizen. Her master, Anakin snickers, "very good… my apprentice. Now, make an example out of him."

The Human's eyes widen at Anakin's order. Standing less than 10 feet from the Togruta Jedi, known as Ahsoka Tano, she raises her hands again using the Force to grip the Human and holds him up off the ground. Frighten civilians ca do nothing but watch. The Human remains calm as he can be, knowing the end is near. "Go on you Jedi monster," the Human challenges, "go on and show the world your true colors!"

Channeling all her hatred through her veins, she holds on to it until it transforms into a deadly lightning ark. Blasting through her arms and out the stainless steel talons attached to her fingers, a white-hot ark of electricity consumes the Human.

Like a ball of cotton on fire, the Human's clothing begins to tatter, his flesh meting from his bones in front of everyone. All he can do is scream his lungs out, it only adds to his torment. Then, at his last moments, the electricity raging through his body comes to a deadly conclusion, busting his eyes out their sockets until only two gaping bloody holes remain.

His screams of agony cease and his body goes limp. The crowd whimpers in fright while the Jedi remain numb at the sight. Ahsoka allows the Human's eyeless body to drop to the ground at the feet of the people. "Let this be a warning…" Anakin starts. "We are giving anyone who had ties with this man a chance to quit this rebellion while you still can. We will return, and the next time we do… you better remember what happened to this man, because the same will happen to you."

With that hair-raising warning, the three Jedi climb back onboard their transport and take off, leaving the civilians in a state of fear for the rest of their natural lives.

* * *

The Jedi Temple, once a maverick structure that was always a reminder that a watchful eye is on the prowl for evil in the galaxy, has now become a constant reminder of fear. Although it still has the same façade as it's always been, the message behind the walls have all but changed.

A squad of Stormtroopers, the 501st division have the honor of guarding the temple 24/7. Even though no one would be stupid enough to attack the Jedi's home, the 501st are only there because they are the purist of the clone army. Back when the Republic was going against the Sith and their army of battle droids. No one knows the real reason why the Jedi keep these clones close… maybe they're a reminder of the good they once were.

Overlooking the city in the Jedi Council chamber, Master of Darkness, Yoda sits in a hovering chair high above the other Jedi Council members. Dressed in all black, hood draped over his head… the Dark Side creeping in and out his body. There are rumors that Yoda is the Dark Side itself.

Each of the remaining Jedi Council members, sit in their usual seats, half of which are holograms from other parts of the galaxy, some such as Mace Windu and Plo Koon are seated with the Dark Lord himself.

All the Jedi are dressed in black robes, complete with graphite colored combat armor with their lightsabers attached to the clip at their waist. Each of them has six inch metal talons attached to their fingers. Intimidating it may look, but these talons are used to amplify and concentrate their Force Lightning attacks.

"Dark Lord…" Mace Windu speaks. "Our forces have conquered many outpost in the Inner Rim; we are now preparing to move our forces to Mid Rim, to Onderon where we are suspecting a large militia is forming."

Yoda doesn't reply right away, instead, he lowers his head taking deep hissing breath. "Mid Rim… I do not care about." He speaks in a baritone dark voice. "On Coruscant, my attention is needed."

"Kenobi, Skywalker and the Padawan are already taking care of it, my Lord," Plo Koon informs. "It's only a matter of time until this rebellion is quelled."

"Speaking on the behave of a rebellion…" Shaak Ti starts. "My apprentice and I have captured a Kaleesh on Mustafar. He had sabotaged one of our cloning banks."

"It'll take months to repair!" Kit Fisto exclaims. "Not to mention millions of credits that are dwindling at the moment…"

"How did this Kaleesh even discover our outpost on Mustafar?" Ki-Aid-Mundi asks aggravated. "It's in a highly remote area on the planet."

"Apparently not as remote as we presumed," Windu gravels.

"I sensed someone strong in the Force who may have been the mastermind of the attack," Shaak Ti explains. "Our forces are still searching the complex for him."

"A Sith… this may be," Yoda speculates getting everyone's attention. "Failed we have… in eliminating them all, I fear."

"That's impossible!" Kit Fisto cuts in. "We killed all the Sith with our own blades, there is no way…"

"But there is, Master Fisto," Yoda interrupts. "Slim chance there is… but if Sith still roam the galaxy… endangerment to us, they are."

"I still take it that the Kaleesh is still breathing?" Plo Koon asks Shaak Ti in a guessing tone.

"Hardly," Shaak Ti replies. "I have him prisoner onboard my Star Destroyer."

"Bring him to Coruscant , you will. Torture will be his reward. Your Master of Masters demands so…" Yoda orders.

Bowing down, Shaak Ti ends transmission with, "yes, Lord of Darkness." Her words were distasteful and bitter, but neither of the Jedi mention it.

* * *

Arriving back at the temple, Anakin, Obi-Wan and Ahsoka are informed of the attack on Mustafar. Walking the temple main corridor alongside Master Windu.

"…Shaak Ti and her apprentice are bringing a prisoner here to Coruscant. He is to be interrogated by any means necessary," Windu tells them.

"And you want us three to interrogate one man?" Anakin asks broadly. "You can get a few Stormtroopers to do that."

"We could…" Windu agrees. "But what if I told you this man has ties to the Sith…?"

That word instantly freezes the three Jedi, "a Sith?" Ahsoka exclaims in shock. "How can you be so sure?"

"I trust Shaak Ti's judgment with my life, young one," Windu replies somewhat bitterly. "If she sensed someone strong in the Force… someone that is against us, then it can only be a Sith."

Leaving their company, Windu stops a few steps ahead of them. He turns on his heels facing them, "remember, he's a Kaleesh native, they are immune to Force Manipulations." With that, Master Windu continues down the darken corridors of the temple.


	5. Touch of death

**_Part I_**

* * *

_Chapter IV_

**Touch of death**_  
_

* * *

Escaping the flaming surface of Mustafar in his small compact ship, Tyranus reaches a hyperspace ring, which he uses to get away from the system all together.

While in hyperspace, Tyranus takes the time to examine the excruciating pain surging right in his chest. The area where those three Jedi struck him with that devastating blow of Force Lighting. An attack he'd thought clone Jedi couldn't preform.

Removing his robes and taking his brown tunic off exposing his skin, Tyranus touches the huge red scar streaking over his olive skin. Stinging like hell, he grits his teeth and tries to massage some of the pain using the Force. It help little as the pain clouds his mind. He may be a Force Weaver, but that doesn't make him indestructible.

Relaxing his body in the pilot seat, he falls deep into though, trying hard not to focus on Qymaen and what condition he may be in. Instead he dwells on the fact that he may have underestimated the clone Jedi potentials. A mistake as a former Jedi would know… underestimation will lead to a heavy downfall.

But that's what Tyranus can't wrap his mind around. Jedi clones are supposed to be weak in the Force, or at least able to do little with its power. Those Jedi on the other hand were by far one of the most skillful clones he's ever encountered, and that frightens him. No matter how hard he tries to convince himself otherwise… he is fearful. Fearful that these clones will soon be as powerful as their creators, and that will spell the end of the Sith as well as the Galaxy.

Wrapping his robes around his body, Tyranus shields the red scar on his chest and meditates his mind. Knowing that he is severely outnumbered and injured, he'll have to gather himself before rescuing his partner. _Right then_… he muses, _to Tatooine…_

* * *

Arriving on Coruscant, Qymaen is taken prisoner to the Dark Legion triple max prison on the industrial outskirts of the metropolis. A dozen Stormtroopers, dressed in all black armor with open face helmets escort the Kaleesh to an interrogation room.

Hands cuffed together with heady metal restraints weigh Qymaen's hands behind his back. Two Stormtroopers grip their hands on his shoulders canceling any mobility of his own besides forcing him to keep walking forward.

Passing a dozen thick metal blast doors, they finally arrive in the central hub of the prison, where offenders are held in small 6 by 9 cells all year round. Their only view is a small slit of a window looking out in the all metal hallway heavily guarded by Stormtroopers.

Walking down a set of metal grated stairs, the troopers reaches the interrogation room, which looks more like a torture chamber than anything else. They sit Qymaen in the surprisingly comfortable leather patent chair removing the cuffs and start restraining him to the chair. After they make sure the restraints are good and tight, they remove the blacken hood from Qymaen's head.

His eyes take time to adjust to the sudden blast of light. Soon he realizes the room is rather dim. The medics onboard Shaak Ti's Star Destroyer did their best in healing Qymaen's lava damaged face. Only a layer of partially melted skin remains, sealing his left eye just a bit, but he has lost all function of it anyway. Still the Kaleesh keeps his wits and doesn't even panic when he notices he's half blind. He figures whatever the Jedi have plan with result in killing him anyway.

The Stormtroopers leave the room without uttering a single word to Qymaen, leaving him in total silence with only the hum of some machinery located behind the metal walls.

Then, after hours of waiting, the door opens and instep three Jedi without their robes. "Well it's about time, I thought you were gonna kill me with boredom!" Qymaen jokes coldly.

"Oh, don't you worry," Obi Wan speaks standing before the captive Kaleesh, "you are going to die here… but first, you're going to tell us who assisted you during the raid on one of our cloning facilities." The Jedi's words were calm and crisp, but Qymaen knows all too well it's a trick to make him feel reassuring of the situation.

"I don't know what you're talking about, Jedi trash!" The Kaleesh spits. "I acted solo, no help what-so-ever, you Jedi overthink things…"

"Let us be more specific," Anakin cuts him off. "We know someone stronger than you went along to that facility on Mustafar and sabotaged the cloning banks. You were just there to take the fall weren't you?" Seeing the sudden worried look on Qymaen, Anakin continues. "You must feel pathetic, knowing your Sith friend left you for dead!"

"You would be right," Qymaen speaks quickly after, "but the Sith is dead. Been dead for over 20 years. Like I said, I went in alone…"

"That's a lie," Ahsoka cuts in. "We already know someone strong in the Force was there, Master Shaak Ti said so herself."

Qymaen chuckles under his breath, "or maybe your precious Jedi Master was misdirected…" raising his head, he locks eyes with Ahsoka, "I've heard _your kind_ are especially weak in the Force… you Togruta rats!"

Stuck by his discriminating remark, Ahsoka unleashes Force Lighting onto Qymaen. Obi-Wan and Anakin stand off to the side watching the Kaleesh jitters from the surge of energy. "Does that feel weak to you!?" Ahsoka shouts ending her lighting attack.

Stunned by the electricity, Qymaen shakes his head clearing the clutter in his mind. Then, he chuckles, "that tickled…" Again, the Togruta shocks him to the point that he sees white flashes before his eyes. Every muscles in his body—even muscles he didn't even thing he had strains to their absolute limits.

Finally, she stops again. This time, Qymaen doesn't have enough energy to even open his mouth. Anakin steps forward inches his face close to Qymaen's exhausted face. "This will go on for however long it has to be… unless you tell us right now where the Sith escaped to."

Catching his breath and inhaling the Human's breath, Qymaen straightens his body and looks Anakin in the eye. "I told you already… I acted alone," he breathes. "You're wasting your stinking breath interrogating me!"

Anakin huffs out a laugh backing away from him. "Ahsoka…" He jesters his Padawan to shock him again, which she gladly does.

Qymaen's screams echo out into the metal halls of the prison, not once do any of the Stormtroopers standing guard outside flinch a muscle. It's like they're immune to bloodcurdling screams, or maybe its music to their ears.

* * *

Successfully escaping to his desert hideout on Tatooine, Tyranus sheds his old clothing and dresses in regular civilian clothes that match those on Coruscant. After which, he finds a new lightsaber, since the other one was damaged during the fight on Mustafar. This lightsaber has a red crystal, it belonged to close friend of Tyranus during the Sith Purge. Though his friend is dead, Tyranus cherishes his memory by wielding his lightsaber.

Next, he'll have to journey to Mos Eisley and commandeer a new ship from the locals. All while dodging Dark Legion troopers.

Leaving his camouflaged hideout beneath the desert sands, Tyranus walks over to a speeder bike nearby. As he reaches it, he feels a sudden pain surging in his chest, a pain that intensifies from nothing to burning like fire.

Falling on his knees, Tyranus grips his chest coughing hard. Then, as unexpectedly as it came, it went, leaving a heavy through of anxiety lingering in Tyranus' mind. Getting back on his feet, he inspects the wound once more. Immediately, he can see the discoloration seeping in, turning the wound purplish color. "That's not good…" Tyranus dreads aloud. Now he'll have to stop and see an old contact for medical attention before setting off on his journey.

* * *

Ridding through the bitter cold desert, Tyranus arrives at a small igloo in the middle of the flatlands. Powering down his speeder, he staggers to the small construction where a man steps out dressed in a beige tunic. "Tyranus…?" The man speaks inching cautiously out his igloo, "is that you?"

Before Tyranus can speak, the pain hits his heart again striking him down on all fours. The feeling of sleepiness immediate takes hold of his old body sending him crashing flat on the ground.

The average size Human male rushes to Tyranus' side. Stooping down to him, he turns the old man over, the Human's eyes double in size. "Tyranus… what the hell happened to you…?"

Emerging from the Igloo, a small Human child with curly hair and tanned skin stares in concern at the man lying on the ground before the Human. "Dad…?" the child gasps getting his father's attention.

"Go back inside Boba, and get my medical kit," his father orders.

The boy scrambles back inside the tightly cluttered space searching for the medical kit. Meanwhile, the boy's father picks Tyranus up in his arms and carries him to the igloo.


	6. Leave no man behind

**_Part I_**

* * *

_Chapter V_

**Leave no man behind**

* * *

A glimmer of faint light stings eyes as he awakens lying on his back. Opening his eyes, he surveys his surroundings finding out quick that he is in some cramped construction. Shaped like a dome, with the smell of burnt lamp oil and junk scattered across the floor. "You're getting reckless Tyranus…" A masculine voice gets his attention to a tan skinned Human knelling at his side.

Tyranus shifts his head so he can get a good look at the Human. Blinking the tears from his eyes he makes out who he is. Laying his head back on the shallow pillow, he looks up at the ceiling. "You're right, Jango," he speaks but finds out his voice hoarse. "I let the power get to my head. I thought… that I could handle it. But I'm not young anymore."

Jango stands all the way up looking down at Tyranus, "you weren't followed were you?" He asks in a demanding tone. "You know what'll happen to me if the Dark Legion discovers me hiding here?"

"I know… and no, I wasn't followed," Tyranus shifts his head to his chest noticing white bandages covering the spot of his injury. The pain was almost gone, despite the feeling of something pressing down on his chest shortening his breathing capacity.

"You know, I'm starting to run low on bacta tanks, thanks to you and your Kaleesh friend for nagging me to borrow some." Jango exits the area going to a small closet nearby. "Speaking of that reptile… where is he?"

Holding out on his reply, Tyranus speaks again when Jango reenters the room, "he was taken. By Jedi." Jango eyes widen at the name, at the same time, his heart plunges in anxiety. "It was mostly my fault. I literally pushed him into their hands…"

"No use beating yourself up now," Jango tells him sternly. "Seems like the Jedi already beat you half dead anyways," Jango suppresses a laugh from escaping.

"But they didn't kill me," Tyranus breathes, "which means if I still have breath in my lungs, I can still fight."

The look on Jango's face falls white, "you're talking about saving him? From _Jedi?_ You won't get anywhere near their planet without them knowing."

"They probably already know of my presence," Tyranus raises himself up off the flatbed sitting upright, "if they managed to get Qymaen to talk, they may be searching the entire galaxy for me…" Unaware to the two men, Boba Fett leans his head in catching every word they speak.

"And yet you come right here…" Jango sighs folding his arms. "Right to my doorstep, again."

"I tried to keep you and your son out of this—truly I did. But it seems my injuries got the best of me." He glides his hands across the bandages running over his heart. "That is why it is imperative that I leave your dwellings right now." Standing up slowly, Tyranus is surprise to feel that the pain isn't striking as before. He spots his shirt lying across a chair nearby. As he goes over to it, young Boba emerges from the doorway beating the Force Weaver to it.

He takes the shirt off the chair and holds it looking up a Tyranus who towers over. "Boba! Give him his shirt, now!" Jango orders in Mandalorian.

"It's alright," Tyranus replies in their language surprising them both. "He's only trying to help, I'm sure." Extending his hand out to Boba, the boy hesitatingly hands Tyranus his shirt.

Waiting on the Sith to put his shirt on, Jango asks him with a hint of concern, "how do you know they haven't killed him already? The Jedi are merciless, they kill pretty much anyone or anything."

"They didn't kill him, not yet," Tyranus replies surprisingly confidently. "They know that I accompanied him Mustafar."

"That's what I mean Tyranus. If they knew that already, wouldn't you think they'll just get rid of him anyway?"

"They took him prisoner," Tyranus presses. "If they wanted to interrogate him then kill him, they would've done it on Mustafar, but they didn't. It's a small window I have to save him before it really becomes too late." Turning away from Jango he looks around the igloo searching for his lightsaber. Then, he looks down at Boba, who already had it in his hand holding it out for him to take.

"I didn't do anything with it, I swear," the boy says in a nervous rush.

"Calm your nerves young one," Tyranus reassures taking his lightsaber and clipping it to his pants waistband. "The lightsaber is just a tool, it's meant to be tampered with. Though… not advised."

Boba backs away from Tyranus keeping his eyes glued to his long face. "So what are you gonna do now, Tyranus?" Jango asks.

Taking a breath before speaking, Tyranus faces Jango, "you don't happen to know anyone who owns a ship, do you…?"

* * *

For several hours, Qymaen is tormented by the three Jedi. Unable to Force Read the Kaleesh, they have to resort to Force Lighting, Force chokes, and pretty much anything that can inflect pain without straight out killing him. But Qymaen's mouth is tempting, it's like he wants to die, which, the Jedi know he'll die before leaking any valuable information they yearn desperately.

"You're a tough one to crack," Obi-Wan complements rubbing his temples. "I've heard stories of your race… you have a high class of honor. You don't fear death… you embrace it."

"You got one thing right… Jedi," Qymaen utters through blood stricken teeth. "I told you you're wasting your time. Why don't you just… kill me now…"

"You're making this harder than it is," Anakin speaks. "You're elongating your death anyways. And you will talk, believe me, because you'll never seeing the light of day ever again."

Qymaen couldn't keep the chill from rippling through his battered body. The Jedi are true to their words and Qymaen is starting to dread, _is this really worth it? I'll be locked up forever unless I just tell them about Tyranus._ But then again, if he does, he'll betray the man who saved his people from utter elimination. He couldn't die knowing that he betrayed one of his dearest friends. "I'll rather… rot in this room until I'm nothing but bones Jedi!" He spits timidly.

Obi-Wan shrugs, "as you wish." He starts for the exit before facing Anakin and Ahsoka, "give him time to dwell on his decision, maybe when we return, he'll change his mind…" The Jedi speaks as if Qymaen isn't even in the room.

The Master Jedi exits the interrogation chamber, Anakin follows behind when he stops at the door turning back to Ahsoka, "keep an eye on him my apprentice," he narrows his eyes on the Kaleesh, "if he tries anything… you know what to do."

"Yes master," she acknowledges with a bow. Anakin then exits the room, leaving Ahsoka and Qymaen alone for however long they plan.

Planting herself right in front of Qymaen, she nails her yellow Dark Side filled eyes right on his face. Folding her arms behind her back and standing tall, she doesn't flinch an inch.

Qymaen chirps a laugh rolling his head from the left to the right shoulder, "you're gonna stand like that all day?" The Padawan remains speechless, her face wiped of all emotion except hatred and anger. "I don't do so good in silence," Qymaen continues. "I always found quietness awkward… I'm a type a person who—"

The young Jedi Force Grips the Kaleesh's throat cutting him off. "You keep talking… and I'll forcibly remove your vocal cords," she releases his throat allowing him to breathe once more.

"Oh yeah…" Qymaen hyperventilates, "that a perfect idea little one. "Too bad you can't, or your masters won't be pleased…"

"When you break—and you will, I'll make sure you're death will happen slowly. You'll feel every inch of body breaking until you finally give out," Ahsoka swears spewing nothing but pure hatred. Qymaen can't suppress the laugher that escapes his mouth. His laughs surprise Ahoska, then she smirks devilishly, "you're just in denial… but I assure you… those laughs will become screams." Her voice drops to whisper, almost hissing sound. Qymaen has never encountered such hatred. The Jedi have enveloped themselves far too deep into the Dark Side that even their apprentices are intimidating. Even the Sith Order when they practice the Dark Side weren't this cold, they still had a hint of sanity.

Backing away from the table, Ahsoka resumes her standing position glaring uncomfortably into Qymaen's eyes. This time, the Kaleesh doesn't have a comeback or anything to say.

* * *

Successfully escaping Tatooine with a ship that's barely spacefaring, Tyranus arrives in Coruscant's orbit. The city lights from the planet were once a warm welcoming to off-world travelers, now it's a sign to turn around and get away as quick and far as possible. Tyranus on the other hand, is on a mission to save his friend from the Jedi clutches, if he isn't already dead.

His wounds have healed to a certain degree, but the scar remains permanently sketched into his chest. But at least the pain is tolerable unlike before.

Breaking Coruscant's atmosphere wasn't all that bad. In fact it was a little too easy for taste. Out of the twenty years he's been fighting the Dark Legion, he can already guess a trap may be ready to spring as soon as his landing gear deploys, let alone touch the ground.

The ships hologram beeps off that someone's trying to contact Tyranus. He presses the button on the dashboard and an image of Jango Fett takes form. "Have you made it to the planet yet?" Fett asks.

"I just entered the atmosphere," Tyranus informs him. "It's smoggier then I remembered," the windshield is obscured with fog unable to make out little but a few skyscrapers reaching through the thick cloud cover.

"Remember," Jango speaks again, "if you are caught, the self-destruct sequence code is 6-5-3. You have the remote detonator?"

Tyranus sighs tired of hearing Jango's paranoia. "it's right here," Tyranus uses the Force to lift the detonator for Jango to see. "Don't worry, if indeed the Jedi detain me, I'll make sure to destroy the ship."

Jango takes a nervous breath forcing a line of a small on his face, "thank you Tyranus, good luck out there… hope you save Qymaen, if he's still alive and all…"

"Trust in the Force and it'll provide the answer…" Tyranus instinctively paraphrases confusing Jango, "goodbye my friend…" Jango nods before ending transmission. Tyranus goes back to studying the fog filled windshield where a clearing finally opens up revealing the illuminating city below, casting a band of multicolor light into the night.

Making a landing at a public landing platform, which is guarded by Stormtroopers, Tyranus exits the craft and does a mind trick on the three clone guards before they could even say a single word. "We will not inspect the ship…" the clones utter back in a monotone falling prey to his manipulation.

Now it's been over two decades since Tyranus has been back on Coruscant and surprisingly it already feels like nothing has changed, though looking hard at the crowd of people moving along below, Tyranus can sense the constant fear ringing in their hearts. A fear he put his life on the line to someday end.

Stepping down the a narrow walkway leading to the ground of Corusant, Tyranus freezes, catching a glimpse of the Jedi Temple through the spider web of buildings. His former home where he practically grew up. But that's a thing of the past, and a former Jedi such as Tyranus knows having attachments to a person place or thing wasn't a Jedi's understanding. So he does what he has done before and pushes the thought to the back of his mind and continues on the reason why he came here in the first place.

* * *

Still keeping an unflinching eye on Qymaen, Ahsoka remains in her attentive standing position. It's been at least two hours, but to Qymaen, it felt like two days. Straightening his head, he looks up at Ahsoka who blinks silently gleaming directly into his eyes. For the first time in his life, Qymaen feels sorry for someone. No matter how hard he tries to bury it, he can't keep the sadness from flooding his mind. "Look at you," he mumbles. "Look what those Jedi dogs molded you into," he straightens his entire body up in the seat. "You could've been much more than what you are now. I don't have to be a fancy mindreading scumbag Jedi to see the kindhearted girl enrooted in you."

Ahsoka easies the tension in her muscles, but she keeps her assertive stance. Qymaen continues, "but it's not your fault. No, it wasn't you're fault that you were born Force Sensitive. It's the Jedi's fault for forcing you to commit acts you don't want to do."

"The Jedi don't force me to do anything," Ahsoka snaps. "I control what I do—not them!"

"And yet here you are…" Qymaen replies quickly after. "Guarding me like a mutt all because your corrupted masters said so…"

Ahsoka grits her teeth, "I'm simply following orders! A good Padawan does what her master says!"

"A Padawan, as well as any other Jedi, follows what their heart says," Qymaen replies stunning her in thought. "You don't realize it now, but the Jedi Order is not what it seems. Not like how it used to be. If you open your heart… look deep into yourself, then you will see it too."

Ahsoka's dark face mellows out absorbing Qymaen's words. Qymaen himself can see the confusion playing out in her mind just by looking at her. But then, his hopes of changing her darken heart are shattered when she lunges out with the Force smashing his windpipe again. "I see what you're trying to do—but it won't work!" She tightens her grip on Qymaen's neck causing him to gasps and choke. "You thought your little speech of propaganda was gonna affect me? Maybe you should try preaching to someone who_ isn't_ a Jedi!"

The urge to kill him itches at Ahsoka's mind. All it'll take is one flex of a finger and its light out for Qymaen. Just then, the door slides open and insteps Anakin, his eyes dart from Ahsoka to Qymaen chocking. Immediately, Ahsoka stops chocking him and faces her master, "master… I didn't… he made me…" she stampers but can't finish her sentence.

Anakin gives her a broad look folding his arms, "leave him be my apprentice. Other news has come up within the Council." Ahsoka raises a brow in confusion, "I'll explain on the way back to the temple…" he turns away heading back out when Ahsoka stops him directing his attention to Qymaen still struggling to catch his breath.

"What about him?" She asks sourly.

"He's the least of our matters, for now," Anakin replies to her giving Qymaen a cold stare. "But let's go! Obi-Wan is waiting for us." The two Jedi leave out the interrogation room, when Ashoka finds herself stopping abruptly in the doorway. A sense of dread over takes her body making her glimpse back at Qymaen with a semi-guilty face. She then leaves his company altogether, alone in the room, until they return to torture him again.

* * *

Finding himself on the industrial outskirts of the metropolises center, Tyranus gets an eye visual on the triple max Dark Legion prison. The 127th guard unit defends the prison in their shiny armor that hasn't faced combat.

Scanning the foreground with his binoculars, he makes out three teams of patrolling troopers accompany with an AT-RT or 'Chicken Walker' as it's nicked named. _That's gonna be a hard pill to swallow… _Grabbing his attention, the sound of a transport taking off causes Tyranus to seek cover under one of the enormous outflow pipes zigzagging across one another. He watches the darken transport become one with the night sky despite the strobe lights blinking from the tips of the wings. "Hmm… so they do have a hanger..." Tyranus thinks aloud. "That should come in handy…"

Making his way on the prison grounds, Tyranus sticks to the shadows away from the spotlights. The prison doesn't have any outside walls, because the Dark Legion believe anyone who'll escape will get lost in the confusing twist of pipes cutting in every direction. That is unless the person is connected to the Force.

Sliding along a wall, Tyranus peaks his head out eyeing the main and only entrance into the prison. Way too many armed guards to handle at once, including a laser turret emplacement, on top of that, auto turrets and snipers. Not to mention the key coded doorway that can only be activated by two personal; one on the opposite side of the door, the other outside. Clearly impossible for any breaking and entering.

Tyranus could rush over, decapitate a few Stormtroopers and force himself into the prison, but that'll put the entire planet on high alert. He'll have to maneuver undetected.

Falling back away from the prison, Tyranus spots three Stormtroopers heading his way. "Hey you!" One shouts, "what are you doing… this is a restricted area, where are your identification forms?"

The Force Weaver attempts to manipulate their mind when the three troopers remain unchanged. Giving each other a brief glance, they look back to Tyranus aiming their blasters at him, "you're coming with us, now!"

One of the three Stormtroopers walks behind Tyranus to restrain him. Suddenly, the Sith leaps out of the trooper's grasps landing behind him. Activating his lightsaber, the troopers suddenly flinch back gripping their weapons. Before any of them could crack off a shoot, Tyranus swoops down killing two of the three clone troopers. Only one remains who tries to flee rather than fight.

Grabbing him using the Force, Tyranus Force chocks him quickly breaking his neck, granting him a painless death. _Didn't think I'll be getting my hands this dirty…_ With three dead troopers, the prison will soon realize some of their men are missing. Disabling his saber blade, Tyranus thinks fast, having to hide the bodies and take one of their uniforms to easily navigate the prison.

* * *

Tyranus has to act fast, everything from this point on has to be flawless, or at least unnoticeable until he can locate and rescue Qymaen. Approaching the main entry gate, posing in Stormtrooper armor, the guards take a nervous glance at his approach. "Hold it trooper," one of the guards orders, "aren't you supposed to be on patrol in section 14?"

Clearing his voice, Tyranus matches the clone's voice as best as he can, "my orders have changed, came from… up top, from the Jedi. They request the Kaleesh prisoner to be transported to the temple."

"We didn't hear anything from Jedi?" The guard replies suspiciously. The other dozen armed security take notice of the conversation putting their full attention to Tyranus. "Three Jedi just left this facility 20 minutes ago... and they specify order use to not allow any personal into the facility, that includes you, sir." The clone guard's programming is too deep to be compromised by Force Manipulations. Maybe that's why the other three troopers hadn't failed for it. These new orders are embedded in their brains.

"Master—I mean, General Mundi told me otherwise… he's on his very way here now and if he learns _you_ troopers hadn't allowed me access to the prisoner… he will not be pleased." Heeding warning remarks of a Jedi general arriving soon, he can sense each of the clone's heart rate increase in their chest.

"Right then…" the guard gives up with a weak sigh, "let him through," he directs his words to another trooper near the entry door. Together, the clone on the other end of the door inputs his part of the code while the other finishes the last four digits.

With a snap, the heavy metallic door unlocks itself separating apart allowing passage into the prison. Tyranus plants one foot into the open doorway when he is stopped by a hand landing hard on his shoulder. "Have you forgotten standard protocol sir," the trooper snaps. "Every prison extraction must be radioed in to the Warden."

"The Warden already knows of my actions, sergeant," Tyranus tells the trooper sternly, "now fall back to your post!"

Without further pressing words, the trooper does as says, thinking the Sith is his high ranking officer.

As the doors close behind him, Tyranus continues down the corridor, when five prison guards dressed in all black suited armor and open face mask approach Tyranus startling him. "Sir, we heard word from the First Sergeant that you request a prison extraction?" One of the guards asks in an English ascent.

"That is correct," Tyranus replies. "And you will take me to him now, the Jedi get antsy when we waste time."

"Right you are sir," the guard agree chuckling a little. "Let's not keep them waiting." The prison guards turn on their heels and start for the multiple security doors that lead into the triple max holding cells, where they're keeping Qymaen prisoner.

Passing through the doors, Tyranus can sense Qymaen's presence more so than ever. _He is alive!_ He cheers in his head.

Finally, the guards lead Tyranus through the last checkpoint and they enter the triple max. Surprisingly, only a handful of prisoners are held here. Their crimes vary, but are similar for they all did something that directly impacted the Dark Legion.

Arriving at the interrogation chamber, the lead guard inputs a code in a keypad next to the room allowing the sliding door to open. "Here you are sir, prisoner 682, arrived here at 1400…"

The guards words become mush as Tyranus pears into the room at the beaten battered face of Qymaen. Breathing shallowly, Qymaen stares weakly at the Stormtroopers, unknowingly right into the face mask of Tyranus. "Have the Jedi finally decided to kill me…?" He asks in a low voice.

"No… not yet," Tyranus speaks still keeping his impression of a Stormtrooper captain. "You are to be moved elsewhere… and it is effective immediately."

"Take me away, clone. I have no reason to resist." Tyranus enters the room along with three other guards. He stands off the side of the room, watching the three guards work on loosening his friend's restraints. After undoing one of his wrist restraints, Qymaen reaches out grabbing the guard by his face mask and slamming his head onto the arm rest. In a blink of an eye, the Kaleesh rips free of the remaining restraints and stands full height knocking the other two guards away crashing into the walls.

"Oh my word!" The English guard standing in the doorway stampers reaching for a blaster at his hip. "The prisoner's loose!" Snakingly, he takes aim at Qymaen when the gun suddenly flies out of his hand due to some invisible force. "What the hell was that!?" Tyranus reaches at him again with the Force, this time grabbing his entire body, slamming his head into the ceiling knocking him out cold.

"What!?" Qymaen swells in confusion looking at the Stormtrooper. "You're a Jedi?"

"_Was_ a Jedi," Tyranus replies smartly removing his headgear allowing Qymaen to see his face. "Happy to see me?"

Qymaen's face becomes stinging red with anger, "stupid Sith!" He spits. "I thought you were halfway across the galaxy, why come back for me?"

"Because you would've done the same for me," Tyranus replies justifying his statement.

"Not really," Qymaen replies coldly picking up the guard's blaster pistol. "I would've let the Jedi keep you as a pet in a cage."

"Glad to see you still care about me Qymaen old friend," Tyranus replies suppressing a laugh, "but we both need to leave this facility before the Jedi take your words into consideration."

"They'll try…" Qymaen mumbles chambering a round into the blaster, "let's get the hell outta here!"

* * *

**Next chapter, escaping an inescapable prison... **


	7. The Wolfpack

**_Part I_**

* * *

_Chapter VI_

**The Wolfpack**

* * *

"Well, what's the master plan, Sith?" Qymaen asks peering out the interrogation room into the triple max holding corridor. His eyes spot a few Stormtroopers scrambling about on the catwalks above as well as the main floor. Possibly digging in to prevent Qymaen and Tyranus' escape.

"To be honest," Tyranus starts taking his lightsaber into his hand, "I didn't think that far…"

"What!?" Qymaen cracks with a slight chuckle, "well that kind of makes since… given the fact you're the first person to ever break _into_ prison… congratulations!"

The troopers' radios are buzzing with activity, echoing throughout the cell block. "Seal the doors! No one leaves this facility!" A trooper orders a prison guard in a control booth overlooking the entire triple max holding block. The guard follows orders and slams his fist on a flashing red button closing the blast doors. On top of that ray-shields cover the doors, making it nearly impossible to be forced open.

"Blast!" Qymaen spits, "they ray-shielded the doors, we're never getting out of here!"

Crouching low and leaning his head out the doorway, Tyranus eyeballs the control tower a few floors above them. It'll be a pain to reach it with the squad of Stormtroopers keeping guard and will shoot anything that pops up, but it's the only option they have left. "We have to get up there," Tyranus points to the tower.

Qymaen shakes his head in despair, "you'll never make it, the Stormtroopers—" before Qymaen knew it, the Sith had sprang out of cover and into the cell corridor, directly in the line of fire of the Stormtroopers.

Activating his lightsaber, the red beam confuses the Stormtroopers, they don't know if he's a Jedi or not. All Jedi have red lightsabers right? But, as the Sith charges for them and leaps in the air, he beheads one of the troopers alarming the rest of the squad.

"Open fire, bring him down!" One of the troopers hollers shooting at Tyranus. The rest of the clones follow suit, but their efforts are pointless for the Sith easily deflects their rounds right back at them. One by one, the clones tumble over with a burnt gaping hole in their armor.

Only one remains and at the worst possible second, his blaster jams. The trooper backs away fearfully against the ray-shielded door. "Technical difficulties Lieutenant?" Tyranus jokes coldly approaching the clone. He raises his saber over his head ready to end the trooper.

Unbeknownst to him, a second squad has moved in on the catwalk behind him. Three troopers set up a laser turret emplacement and take aim at Tyranus. "Cut em' down!" A clone shouts.

Yanking the bolt back, the clone behind the turret emplacement unleashes a volley of laser blots at Tyranus. Sensing the incoming rounds, Tyranus whips around and deflects the rapidly incoming bolts. While distracted, the trooper he was just going to cut down drops his blaster rifle and takes aim at the occupied Sith with his sidearm. "Who's havin' difficulties now…" the clone scowls under his breath. He pulls the trigger sending a round into Tyranus' back.

The Sith lets out a cry in pain, quickly spinning around facing the trooper, he drives his saber right through the clone's midsection killing him instantly. The turret team continues to fire at Tyranus as the Sith Force leaps onto the catwalk and seeks cover behind a stack of crates. "Now will be a good time for your help!" Tyranus calls out to Qymaen who remains in cover at the interrogation doorway, right below the gun emplacement team.

Breaking out of cover, Qymaen lines himself up for a shot at the gunner. He aims directly for the clone's head and fires. The trooper's head launches back and his body lands flat on the metal surface. "Go! I have you covered!" Qymaen shouts to Tyranus as he provides covering fire.

Tyranus rushes out from behind the crates and runs down the catwalk. A few Stormtroopers stand in his wake shooting at the Sith as he sprints closer towards them. "Stand your ground!" A trooper yells, "he can't cut us all down!"

Blitzing towards the stationary troopers, Tyranus deflects and counters their barrage of laser fire. The troopers all take a step back, retreating seeing their futile attempt to bring the Sith down. When he nears them, Tyranus thrusts the troopers with the Force sending many of them over the railing and crashing down on the main floor. Cutting the remaining troopers down, Tyranus sets his sight on the control room two tiers above him.

Looking down at Qymaen, the Kaleesh waves the Sith on to continue. Tyranus gives him a brief nod then Force jumps to the next catwalk nearing the control station. Realigning their aim at the Sith, the two remaining troopers at the gun emplacement ready to open fire, when they are pinned down once again by Qymaen's firing.

The two guards in the control room eyes widen in surprise through their open face mask as Tyranus nears them. "Activate the auto turrets!" One shouts to the other who immediately does so. With the hit of a button, three auto turret spring from the ceiling and swivel for Tyranus, centering their aim on the jumping Sith.

A deep red glow of sporadic laser bolts home in for Tyranus. Weaving his saber erratically, he deflects some of the bolts but a few scrapes across his knee, cheek and arms, burning the Stormtrooper armor he's encased.

He lands on the top catwalk that shares the control room. The two guards scramble to the door controls activating an electric field across the entry way. The auto turrets continue to fire, the Sith's only chance of survival is the blind spot which is being close to the control room. The metal awning jutting out from the top of the control hub should keep the auto turret rounds from making contact.

Tyranus breaks into a mad dash for the safety from the constant laser fire. His injured knee keeps him from running at full capacity, but he manages to fight through the pain and push through. Tyranus gives himself an extra boost kicking off with the Force, he slides to a stop under the cover of the awning. Just as he suspected, the auto turrets stop engaging and cease fire.

The two guards' mouths drop open at the sight of Tyranus just behind the laser gridded window. "Crap…! He killed them all…" one guard heaves solemnly. "Who the hell is this guy?"

"Get it together trooper!" The other guard squalls grabbing the other by the shoulders. "Get on the hologram and patch a distress transmission to Jedi!"

* * *

In the Jedi temple, Master of Darkness Yoda sits in his hovering chair in one of the many darken chambers along with Jedi Masters Luminara Unduli and Adi Gallia. The Dark Lord had summoned the two High Council Jedi in the wake of a new threat emerging at the triple max prison. Taking form on the large dish shape hologram table, the image of the two frighten prison guards grabs their attention. "My Lord's… at this moment, there is a prison break in process at the Dark Legion Triple Max facility..." Just then both guards jump in fright, the sound of a lightsaber sawing through steel crackles in the background.

The other clone guard takes over speaking in a frantic rush, "unknown adversary wielding a lightsaber is assisting the Kaleesh prisoner in escaping…" his eyes nervously dart to and from the hologram camera, "send all available units to our location I repeat…!" The two guards are Force pushed out of the hologram image. Taking their place, the image of a lightsaber wielding individual dressed in a Stormtrooper outfit stands momentarily still before closing in on the guards. Their sudden yelps of the saber cutting through them is the last transmission before ending abruptly.

Standing in silence, the two Jedi take their gaze to Yoda, who has a slight smirk across his face. "After all… my plan hadn't failed…" He speaks sinking his arms into his robe. "Come to save him… the Kaleesh's master has…"

"You were right Master…" Gallia speaks proudly, "you knew by keeping the Kaleesh alive would bring his master to us."

"The will of the Dark Side… allowed such an opportunity…" Yoda praises. "Who this unknown adversary is… perfect time to discover, it is."

"I agree Master," Unduli complies. "This matter will be dealt with in an expeditious fashion…"

"I'll contact Master Tiin and his clones…" Gallia suggests. "They should be somewhere in proximity to prevent this prison break from taking any more oxygen than it already has."

"Contact him, you will," Yoda replies. "Alive I want this man, you will tell him. The Kaleesh as well as the prisoners… Kill them, he will."

"As you wish, Lord of Darkness," Gallia concludes with a bow. Yoda waves his hand as he glides over the hologram table. Master Unduli bows as the Lord of Darkness hovers over head, casting a shadow on her. When Yoda leaves the chamber altogether, the two masters straighten up easing the tension that was balling in their guts.

* * *

Somewhere in the metropolitan area on Coruscant, Jedi Master Saesee Tiin is in the middle of Force strangling a suspected civilian whom he sensed as suspicious during his patrols through the city. In the heart of a densely populated intersection, he holds the defenseless woman off her feet gasping for air as hundreds of civilians watch in horror. His clone squadron, known as the _Wolfpack_, keep the civilians at bay while their Jedi general continues his twisted torment.

"Sir!" A trooper calls snubbing his concentration. The horned, pale skinned Jedi turns to the clone captain who earned the nickname 'Wolffe'. Which is a rarity for some clones because many Jedi don't take the courtesy in naming them.

"What is it commander?" Tiin asks still keeping his grip on his suspect.

Wolffe doesn't say anything in reply, instead he holds his hand out gripping a handheld hologram device. An image of Adi Gallia takes form, "master Tiin?" She starts. The horned Jedi sighs dryly at the sight of the Jedi. "Your services are needed on the outskirts of Coruscant…"

"I'm already in the middle of something, Adi," he sneers tightening his grip on the suffocating woman. "Leave me be so that I can continue my work…"

"Your _work_ is needed elsewhere, Saesee," Adi replies sourly. "There is a prison break in progress at the triple max facility in district 62."

"And? Why should it concern me? Weren't Kenobi and Skywalker there not too long ago? Talk to them!?" He looks away from the hologram and puts his attention back on the woman whose face has turned blue from his extended Force chock. Still breathing shallowly, she gives up struggling as it only adds to her pain.

"Kenobi and Skywalker were summoned to the Council," Adi informs him. "They're currently unavailable and you and your clones are the only squad we have left to deal with this matter."

"Well that's too bad," Tiin declines again, "because as of now we are unavailable." Tiin grips his fist close snapping the woman's neck and tossing her away like trash. "Then again…" he faces the hologram, "I just made time…"

* * *

Clearing the entire prison block of Stormtroopers, Tyranus stands in the control room trying to figure out which button will deactivate the ray-shields. Just then, the sound of someone banging on a door gets his attention. "Aye… let us out!" A voice echoes through the corridor emitting from one of the holding cells.

"Yeah, open the doors!" Another prisoner shouts out to Tyranus banging on the metal door. Following suit, the reminders of the prisoners begin to shout all at once slamming their fists against the doors like caged animals. In a way they are, desperate to get out the cramped cell.

Tyranus hovers his hand on the door control enabling the locking mechanism that'll unlock all the doors. Though he thinks, _will freeing these prisoners be a good idea?_ There's no telling that a legion of Stormtroopers will be waiting ready to kill them all in any attempt in escaping. Maybe keeping them locked in their cells will save them from certain death.

"Com-on man what are you doing!?" A prisoner shouts agitated catching Tyranus's ear amongst the droning shouts and banging. "I don't wanna stay locked up in this cell forever, please man, unlock the doors!" The prisoner request strikes a nerve in Tyranus. He can hear the distress in his voice, as well as the other prisoners blaring out all around them. He didn't need the Force to know these prisoners want to be free, no matter the cost.

He pulls the lever unlocking all the cell doors simultaneously. A warning siren blares off filling the detention corridor with an ear dampening sound. The prisoners timidly take a step out their cells and look around the holding corridor. The siren cuts off leaving a ring in everyone's eardrums.

Tyranus emerges from the control room and looks down at the prisoners dressed in their bright orange jumpsuits.

Qymaen walks up the stairs onto the first catwalk greeting the first few prisoners. As he walks down the line of them, his eyes stop upon a blue skinned man with deep red eyes. The brightly colored jumpsuit brings the prisoner's dark blue skin tone out. The prisoner coughs a laugh taking his gaze off the dead Stormtroopers at his feet and directs them to Qymaen. "I like what you did with the place…" his voice slightly deep and mechanical. "Your friend mostly…"

"Do you want to keep standing here and talking?" Qymaen asks picking up a Stormtrooper's blaster rifle, "or do you want to be free!" He shoves the rifle in the man's hands.

"_Free_…" he snickers. "In here or out there, we'll always be prisoners to the Jedi."

"Then I suggest you stay and rot in this jail!" A Weequay prisoner remarks sternly. "I'm gettin' the hell out this prison if it's the last damn thing I do!"

"That's because it _will _be the last thing you do fool!" The blue skinned prisoner snaps back. "There's probably hundreds of those blasted clone troopers on the other side of these doors just waiting for us to show our heads so they can blast them off!"

"Then asks yourself this…" Qymaen speaks in. "What do you have to loss or gain? The Jedi stripped everything from you, that much I know… you have nothing to live for…" His words reach the prisoner no matter how hard he tries to ignore them. "Either way it goes you're a dead man, might as well die on your feet rather than some dog with his tail between his legs!"

The red eyed prisoner lowers his head with a sigh. He comes to the realization that in fact the Kaleesh is right. Make his last act worth something even if it means trying to escape a prison which he knows will be a close to impossible feat. "You win…" He agrees in a raspy voice.

* * *

Coming down from the top catwalk, a line of prisoners stare at Tyranus as he walks calm as if nothing had happened. Though they are trying to figure him out who he is exactly. An unknown older man dressed in cream white Stormtrooper armor wielding a lightsaber and strong in the Force, a man who took down 30 Stormtroopers like they were nothing.

One prisoner in particular grabs Tyranus' attention. Not only does her familiar face draw him in, but the lingering Force energy radiating around her. Curious, the Sith approaches the grey skinned nearly bald woman except for a pony tail extending far down her back from the top of her head. She takes a nervous step back as Tyranus approaches, "you a Jedi?" She asks timidly.

"If I were… you would've been dead already," Tyranus replies mysteriously. She tenses her muscles as he towers over her, "the Force… it runs through you. I can feel its energy fluxing through your veins." She darts her eyes across his face with a suspicious glare. "What is your name?"

She squints in confusion, "Aurra…?" She replies cautiously. "Aurra Sing."

Tyranus nods his head finding her name familiar, "Aurra Sing… yes I remember you. Force sensitive child from Nar Shaddaa… brought to the temple around the time the Jedi turned to the Dark Side." She raises an eyebrow in shock in how much the Sith knew about her past, "you don't remember…"

"Actually I do," she says quickly after. "I was a Padawan at the temple when everything changed…" She trails off speaking from memory, "so much death… they killed so many people that day, other Jedi for no reason…"

"Force Weavers…" Tyranus breathes, "People who possessed an accumulation of Force essence unlike any other."

Cutting in on their conversation, Qymaen approaches with the blue skinned prisoner along with a dozen other prisoners armed with blaster rifles. The blue skinned prisoner large red eyes bulge out of his head, "Tyranus?" He heaves. He quickly buries the surprise ring in his voice making it subtle, "I thought you were dead, Sith. Or you should be."

Qymaen glances from the prisoner and onto Tyranus, "you know this man?"

"Of course he knows me," the prisoner speaks. "He got my ship destroyed seven years ago after we got ambushed by a Star Destroyer over my home world of Duro. They held me prisoner ever since…" he inches closer to the Sith, "haven't seen sunlight in over seven years. You know what that does to a man's mental health?"  
"I couldn't image what torment the Jedi strained on our mind, Cad Bane," Tyranus replies keeping his gaze locked on Cad's deep red eyes.

"And that Star Destroy that _nearly _killed you?" Cad brings up, "it moved on to my planet and swiped every city in under a week! They killed everyone Tyranus, my people were nearly pushed to extinction and I wasn't there to help them!" Cad explodes in anger, but maintains his composer. "If I hadn't helped your sorry butt, I would've at least died fighting for my people and not in some dingy prison on a Jedi rat infested planet!"

Cad's words strike a nerve in Tyranus, he knew that Star Destroyer was homing in on Duro, it was his fault it arrived in the first place. If he never landed on their planet, the Dark Legion would have never devastated it in the first place. But of course, Cad Bane didn't know that and never will. Tyranus paid the bounty hunter to give him a ride off the planet before they came searching for him, but it was too late.

"I hate to interrupt you guys' tearful reunion," Qymaen speaks cutting the tension between the two. "But have you forgotten were still in a prison!?"

Cad breaks his gaze from Tyranus, "if we get outta here alive… you better watch your back Sith, cuz you still haven't earned my forgiveness!" Taking that as a threat on his life, Tyranus nods him off. Not his first time someone's threaten him, certainly wouldn't be the last.

* * *

Coming in for a landing, Master Tiin and his clone squadron arrive at the prison landing in a dozen transport ships. They are greeted by the warden. The remainders of the 127th Guard Unit surround the facility. "General Tiin, Commander Wolffe… your timing couldn't be better."

"What's the status of the situation, warden?" Tiin asks adjusting the metal talons at his fingertips.

"At the time of the riot," the warden starts leading the Jedi and clone commander towards a nearby tent, "we had a team inside the triple max corridor… as far as we know, the perpetrators eliminated them all."

Woffle chuckles removing his helmet, "I though the _legendary _127th Guard Unit were the best at keeping situations like this from ever happening."

"They are," the warden defends, "except these aren't your _ordinary_ perpetrators, Commander…"

"What makes you say that?" Tiin asks broadly tossing his lightsaber in one hand repetitively. The three reach the tent which houses a mischief command post. From there, the warden shows the two security footage off a hologram of Tyranus and Qymaen fighting the squadron of clones. Peaking his interest, Tiin stops fiddling with his lightsaber and squints his eyes onto Tyranus. "Looks like a rogue trooper with a… lightsaber…?" Woffle speculates judging off Tyranus dressed in trooper armor.

Tiin thinks otherwise, "I'm not so sure. Doesn't he seem a little old to be a Stormtrooper?"

Wolffe shrugs, "well he can't be a Jedi… right sir?"

Taking a moment, Tiin feels for the Force picking up something strong emitting from the prison, "this one's a strange one…" he muses setting his eyes on the paused hologram video. "I can feel the Force… and he's strong in it. Literally feels as it its warping around him…" after a moment of thinking, he sets his attention to Wolffe standing at his left. "Order the troopers to reinforce the 127th, remain at your post until further notice."

"Yes my lord," Wolffe salutes placing his helmet back on his head

As the commander exits the tent, Tiin then orders a clone trooper at the command post to give him schematics of the prison. The trooper hurries to the Jedi's side and displays a holographic image of the interior of the holding corridors. The warden and Jedi examine the specs closely, when something in the triple max corridor grabs the Jedi's attention. "Warden, are there any more of your men still breathing inside the complex?"

The warden gives the Jedi a bewildered look, "no, they're all dead."

"Good," Tiin replies smiling sinisterly, "because I have an idea…"

* * *

Trying to figure a way to escape the lockdown detention center, a few prisoners pounder in the control room while the others pick up discarded weapons around the detention hall. The ray-shields are still active covering the security doors. Arrua along with the Weequay prisoner stand around the control panel debating on how to deactivate the ray-shields, "I don't understand," the Weequay frowns with irritation. "This button should unlock the doors and cut off the ray shields…" He continues slamming his fist into the button in which it buzzes annoyingly.

"Would you stop!?" Aurra exclaims slapping his hand away from the button. "Clearly pressing the damn thing over and over isn't gonna make the ray-shields disappear!"

"Then what are we gonna do?" He asks agitated. "That's the only way out from what I see!"

Cad Bane's laugher catches their attention. The blue skinned mercenary leans against the doorframe looking at them, "you people disgust me!" He snares, "you really think you can just walz your way to freedom?" The prisoner nor Aurra reply allowing him to continue, "you boneheads find a way to open those doors and it'll be _plastic-boy_ heaven!" Plastic boy referring to the Stormtroopers.

"Well then, what do you suggest we do?" Aurra speaks. "Just sit here and wait until they find a way to kill us!?"

"Woman, they're gonna kill us anyway," Cad replies setting his blaster rifle against the wall and folding his arms. "They probably have a boatload of Jedi just waiting to beat the crap outta us until we're pissin' blood."

"He doesn't mean that," the Weequay prisoner asks Aurra nervously. "Does he?" The grey skinned woman shrugs.

"It doesn't matter, it's gonna happen anyway," Bane speaks from experience, "and when the Jedi are done screwing with you… you'll wish you were dead." He leans off the wall looking down at Tyranus walking with Qymaen on the next level down, "especially with that guy near us…" he motions to Tyranus so Aurra and the Weequay can see of whom he speaks. "Nothing but death surrounds him…"

"So he's a Sith?" Aurra asks curiously looking at Tyranus, "I thought the Jedi killed them all."

"All but one," Cad replies holding up a finger, "but that'll soon be changed any moment now…"

Suddenly, a rumbling sound vibrates the entire detention center. The catwalks rattle and shimmer freezing everyone in step. Then, as sudden as it came, the vibration ends leaving everyone in suspense. "The hell was that?" A prisoner whispers out of the silence.

Tyranus freezes in motion sensing an urgent threat rising in the Force. The Force directs his gaze upward to a series of air vents. A foggy gas creeps out the vents and falls over like a slow moving waterfall, slowly descending down on the unexpected prisoners. Tyranus gasps in horror, that cumulus fog can only be one thing… "Cad, Aurra!" He calls up at them getting their attention. He points to incoming danger directing their eyes to it.

The fog has already clouded up the ceiling and foaming its way towards them. Grabbing his blaster rifle, Cad breaks into a run, Aurra and the Weequay follow behind.

"The hell's that stuff!?" A prisoner asks standing on the main floor alongside Qymaen and Tyranus.

"Something bad, I'm sure…" another prisoner response dryly.

Cad and Aurra continue down the stairs as quick as they can to the main level. The Weequay tries to keep up when he becomes engulfed in the fog. Coughing like mad, he struggles to keep running, but the gas is too much. Gripping his chest, the Weequay falls over the steps and tumbles down like a sack of dirty laundry.

His body knocks Aurra off her feet. She trips over breaking her fall with her hands. The metal grated catwalk stings the palms off her hands as she lands. The unconscious Weequay pins her legs with his weight. She tries moving her legs when she also notices her foot is trapped between the open spaces of the stairs. The yellowish fog of gas fills the entire top level of the detention center, making its way to the next.

Aurra thrashes and kicks desperately trying to free herself before the fog makes her its next victim. But her efforts are hopeless, no matter how hard she tries squirming and fighting to get free, the situation becomes dire each time she exerts her energy.

A level below her, Cad stops hearing Aurra's grunts and shouts of anger as she continues to struggle. For some reason, he finds himself frozen like a statue, looking up at the grey skinned woman. His mind in conflict, should he save her or keep running? _What'll be the point, this gas will fill the entire corridor_, he presumes. Then again he just realized, _why am I running when I know that…?_ Could it be that Cad Bane wants to be free? Or is it his stubborn attitude as a harden mercenary that keeps him from ever quitting? He doesn't even know himself, but he can't go back to being locked up knowing that he didn't at least try to help someone who is in the same predicament as he. "Damnit…!" he swears under his breath rushing back up the steps to Aurra's rescue.

His legs continue to move back up the steps while his mind was screaming turn around. But Cad cancels the thought out of his mind and continues on until he reaches Aurra. The gas begins to tickle his lungs, forcing him to cough. Nausea hits him like a brick. His head becomes heavy with thoughts of sleep coursing through his mind. _This gas is worse than the blasted Jedi Mind Trick!_ Setting his blaster aside he pushes the Weeqauy off her legs and unpins her trapped foot. "Get up!" He grabs her and forces her on her feet, "go—keep moving!" He encourages grabbing his blaster off the floor. The two narrowly escape the gas, though Cad inhaled a small amount, it still leaves him with a lightheaded feeling.

On the main floor, Tyranus Qymaen and the dozen other prisoners scramble for a plan of escape with no effort. "It's pointless!" A panicking prisoner stampers pacing the floors aimlessly, "were all gonna die… there's no way out—were all gonna die!"

"You keep talking like that and I'll kill you myself!" Qymaen shouts at him ending his insanity. "There must be a way out," he turns his attention to Tyranus, "right, Sith…?"

Glancing at the dead troopers scattered across the floors, Tyranus' eyes land on the thermal detonators clipped to their waists. Without word, he rushes away to an open cell relatively close to the security door. Inside, Tyranus runs his hand across the walls of the cell, using the Force, he sense something hollow behind. Qymaen and the prisoners run over staring at the Sith at the doorway. Seeing the look written across Tyranus' face, Qymaen knows things most have fallen in their favor. "We need explosives…" he looks to the Kaleesh and the prisoners, "thermal detonators… check the dead troopers."

* * *

Outside the prison, Jedi Master Tiin remains at the command post awaiting word of Commander Wolffe and the Wolfpack who he ordered to enter the prison and stand guard at the security checkpoint corridor. Successfully tapping into the surveillance cameras, Commander Woffle is equipped with a live feed into the detention center.

Crouched down on one knee along with his squad, he studies the holographic video of the prisoners scrambling about in an orderly calm fashion. The thick mist of the knockout gas they've deployed through the ventilation system prevents him from seeing what is truly going on. Not sitting well with what he sees, he patches in to his hierarchy. "General Tiin… you seein' this sir?"

The Jedi along with the Malastarian prison warden are also observing the video, finding it hard to make out what exactly the prisoners are doing. "Copy that Wolffe," Tiin acknowledges speaking into his wrist communicator.

"What is this…" the warden asks in a hissy voice. "I through by now they'll be unconscious!"

Rubbing his chin, Tiin sighs placing his hands on the table in front of him, "well looks like the easy way has failed, like always." He raises the com to his mouth, "Commander, standby we're deactivating the ray shielding and opening the doors, be ready to engage."

The warden gives Tiin a confused glare, "engage? But what about the halothane that's flooding the detention center as we speak? Commander Wolffe and his men might—"

"Are you backlashing my judgment, warden?" Tiin asks with a hint of annoyance in his voice.

The Malastarian sinks as the horned Jedi glares at him, his piercing yellow eyes strikes fear in his heart. "N-no my lord," he submits weakly bowing his head.

"That's what I thought. Now, give the order warden, since this is your prison."

"As you wish," the warden clears his throat before speaking the orders into his communicator. Prison guards at the main gate enter in their code unlocking the rest of the security doors. Commander Wolffe raises his hand and makes a fist indicating his men to hold fire until he gives the order.

Automatically subordinate to the commander's actions, the troopers click off the safeties on their blasters and tighten their grip on the handle. The doors inch open slowly adding to the Wolfpacks' anxiety. "Steady…" Wolffe sounds off in a calm tone easing the trigger edgy troopers from firing too soon. The last few doors are beginning to open and the clones know that the prisoners are armed with blaster weapons of their own.

The final door begins to open up, the yellow fog of the gas seeps out obscuring any visual aspects beyond the door. Wolffe figures if we can't see them, they can't see us. So far no laser fire erupts and given the density of the gas, he also thinks that the prisoners will be too weak to even put up a fight. "Ste—" _Boom!_ An ear splintering explosion ripples through the checkpoint corridor. The shockwave slams into Wolffe's chest platted armor knocking him on his butt.

The explosion repercussions throughout the command post rendering the camera feed useless. Getting on his com-link, Tiin contacts Wolffe, "Commander…? Commander do you read?"

"Argg… y-yes… general," he coughs. "I'm here." He and his squad get slowly back on their feet following the sudden explosion.

"Commander what was that?" The warden's voice comes over his com.

"I don't know sir… it came from the detention hall…" Wolffe informs him. Both Tiin and the warden exchange glances, "oh… no," Wolffe gasps.

"What is it Wolffe?" Tiin asks in a surging voice.

"The prisoners… they've escaped!" Glaring down at an enormous whole in one of the cell blocks, it leads right into a storage bay directly behind. The rest of Wolffe's squad emerges into the holding block, holding their breaths as to not take in the gas. "There are a few prisoners here," Wolffe confirms looking down at the floor at some of the fugitives who fail victim to the powerful chemical agent. "It's a few… but not all of them. And I don't think our lightsaber guy is with them… nor the Kaleesh."

Tiin heaves out a grunt slamming his hands hard on the table snapping it in half. The clone troopers as well as the warden stare in shock at the Jedi's rage. "Commander Wolffe, I want those prisoners dead! Hunt them down and kill them all!" He screams into his communicator.

"What about our unknown assailant?" Wolffe asks referring to Tyranus.

"Leave him to me," Tiin insures leaving the tent altogether.

* * *

Tyranus, Qymaen, Cad, Aurra and three remaining prisoners navigate a maintenance tunnel below the prison. Leading the way, Tyranus relies on the Force to guide them in this cement maze of tunnels and pipes. The three prisoners trail in the back apprehensively scanning the darken shadows.

Gliding his hands across the cold cement walls, Tyranus can feel the Force directing him in the right direction. Like sonar, he gets a near perfect image of the tunnel before he and the gang even reach it. Taking notice of the Sith's actions, Aurra walks alongside him. For a moment, the pair stay silent keeping their eyes and ears open for any opposition. Tyranus himself can feel the hundreds of Stormtroopers searching the facility above them, but he reframes from telling the others. "I hope you know where you're going," she asks aiming down the sight of her blaster. "If we get lost down here… were as good as dead."

"I trust in the Force," Tyranus replies vaguely keeping his attention focuses. "It's guiding us away from any looming threats."

Aurra rolls her eyes, "you actually believe that Jedi hoodoo talk?" She asks laughingly. "The Force is a joke…"

"I'm surprise," Tyranus cracks a smile still keeping his eyes trained on the unknown terrain before them. "Hearing that come from a former Padawan of the Order…" He stops all of a sudden, Aurra crashes into his body, the blaster in her hands hits her nose.

"What the hell? Why are you stopping?" She asks rubbing her stinging nose. Tyranus shushes her as he stands perfectly still. For a second, he feels a strong Force presence nearby, but it quickly vanishes.

Shaking his head, he moves seeing the path clear as day again. "Ok… let's keep moving," he whispers moving down a narrow darken passageway. A small amount of precipitation lingers at the bottom of the tunnel, an indication that they're nearing an exit from the prison, or at least getting somewhere close to freedom.

"So who are you exactly, Tyranus?" Aurra asks out of the blue, "you're no Jedi, Cad said you're a Sith, but that's impossible."

"Not everything's impossible, young Padawan," Tyranus manages to force a joke in this tense situation. "I'm surprise you remember so little from your stay at the temple."

She bites her lip at his attempt of a joke which she didn't find funny at all, "that's because I cut my stay short," she replies irritably. A passing rodent scurrying across the damp tunnel floor startles everyone halting the group. The rodent darts between the prisoners' legs making them shriek like school children.

"Relax," Cad chills, "it's just a rat. Keep your eyes out for the plastic boys." The prisoners nod nervously as they continue following behind. Qymaen represses a laugh building in his gut and maintains a neutral face.

Going back to navigating, Tyranus reestablishes the conversation where it was interrupted. "So you cut your stay short… ? What do you mean by that?" He has an idea what she meant, but wants Aurra to confess it herself.

"The Jedi Order didn't sit well with me," she says ducking low as Tyranus leads them through a low ceiling tunnel. "So I abandoned them and all their teachings about the Force and blah blah blah…" She kisses it off like it's nothing. Even though, in the wake of her silence, Tyranus senses the indifference radiating from her. "Good thing I did" she laughs nervously, "the axe came down on the place not to long after my resignation…"

"You and I both…" Tyranus mumbles trudging lightly across the tunnel.

* * *

Master Tiin enters the maximum holding corridor along with the 127th who have occupied the lockup wing. The smell of explosion residue floats heavily in the air retaking the knockout gas that had faded away. Looking around the carnage of the dead Stormtroopers scattered across the corridor, he comes to a conclusion that this lightsaber wielding assailant is not only strong in the Force, but also a formidable swordsman. "This isn't just some breeder swinging a sword… he has technique…"

* * *

The rest of the journey is in silence as the gang came dangerously close to a passing Stromtrooper squad that was patrolling the basements of the facility. Their radio chatter sounds all around them. Master Tiin's voice was heard screeching over the com channels. Letting the escapees know loud and clear that a Jedi along with the infamous Wolfpack squadron are hunting them.

The Wolfpack, an old clone squadron that was created back during the Sith Wars. They are probably the best known trooper legion in the galaxy, sharing the same battlefield success as the 501st.

After a few close calls with trooper patrols, the escapees take a breath easing the strain building in their guts. Although they're still a long way from freedom. "This doesn't change anything between us, Tyranus," Cad speaks finding himself walking beside the Sith. "If by some chance we make it out this tango alive… I'm coming for your head, that's if the Jedi don't get it first," he threatens with a gloomy tone.

Tyranus finds himself smiling, "I'll be looking forward to our next meeting, Mr. Bane." The mercenary snares at the Sith in disgust increasing in his step.

Out of nowhere, laser fire erupts as the gang crosses an open chasm. On the top ledge, a column of Stormtroopers open fire upon the group. The escapees seek cover in a junction out of range of the laser fire. One of the prisoners is struck multiple times as he tries to flee in the opposite directions away from the group. The laser bolts zip in and out his body, he collapse face first in the water filled tunnel.

Tyranus and the rest of the gang are pinned down. The troopers continue to fire, their laser bolts ricochet across the walls. "I take it you didn't sense this coming, Sith?" Cad banters coldly taking potshots at the advancing troopers. "You marched us right in their sights!"

The troopers enter the narrow passageway just a mere 10 feet from the fugitives. Any closer and they'll overpower them and this escape will end with disaster.

"It's no use" one of the prisoner shouts hopelessly over the loud laser fire. "They're gonna overrun us!"

"Not yet," Qymaen speaks slyly taking out a thermal detonator he held on to just for a moment like this. "For we have the upper hand!" He activates the explosive and hands it Aurra, she tosses the explosives down range landing at the feet of the troopers.

"Grenade, hit the deck!" A trooper cries out diving back from the detonator. The explosive ignites sending a wave of fire through the tunnel in which the troopers were advancing through, setting them back into the chasm granting the fugitives time to make a withdraw.

Retreating back down the saturated tunnels, the escapees' route is cut off once again as Commander Wolffe and the Wolfpack zero in on them. "Crap!" Arrua swears as the group comes to a halt, "they're on to us now."

Trapped between two clone squadrons, Tyranus feels the Force calling to him guiding his attention to a hardly visible passageway obscured in shadow. Thinking in the back of his mind, Tyranus remembers the ship he used to reach Coruscant. It's outfitted with autopilot… "you must hurry," he snaps his lightsaber active illuminating the darken passage in a deep red glow. "Get down that tunnel…" he gestures aiming his blade at the passage.

Wasting no time, Cad and the remaining prisoners dash for the open tunnel. Qymaen and Aurra hesitate, "don't just stare at me—go! I'll be right behind you." The trailing footsteps of advancing troopers force the two to move through the tunnel.

Maintaining his ground, the Sith looks to the opposites side of the spillway and runs over through a darken tunnel going the other way of which the others went. While running, he begins to shed the trooper armor exposing his regular clothing. Kicking off the shed guards, he quickly reaches into his pocket taking the autopilot control into his hands. Pressing a button, a blue light pulsates from the top of the cylinder shape device.

Still on the landing platform in the metropolitan area in Coruscant, the ship Tyranus arrived in awakens with activity. Starting up is engines, the ship blasts off homing in on his location.

* * *

Finally, after what felt like an eternity crawling around in the tunnels beneath the prison, Qymaen, Cad, Aurra and the two prisoners with them take a full breath of Courscant's air. The taste of freedom tickling at their lips, though they aren't' entirely free.

Surrounding them on all sides are twisted pipes and ventilation shafts that feed into the prison. Right now they're in Coruscant's concrete and metal jungle, where many don't find their way back to civilization. Just then, Qymaen realizes that Tyranus is missing, "that Sith…" he bawls angrily. "Always sacrificing himself…"

Aurra looks back at the darken tunnel, "but he said he was right behind us…?"

"That's too bad," Cad sighs in disappointment, "I was really looking forward in killing him myself," he starts moving away from the remaining prisoners into the network of pipes.

"Aye!" One of the prisoners call out to him, "where do you think your goin'?"

Cad turns facing the scrawny Dathomirian prisoner, the one who kept giving up hope every step of their escape. "It's every man for himself…" Cad tells him putting one leg over the pipe, "we made it out, now I'm findin' a way off this damn planet!"

"But what happened to sticking together?" The Dathomirian asks in a pleading voice. "We're stronger as a team—we're the first people to ever escape a Dark Legion prison."

"I hear ya," Cad admits, "but I'm better off alone, and we're never free so as long as we stay here chitchatting!" He shifts his gaze off the prisoner and onto Aurra. He gets a grip on his feelings turning his back. "Keep to the shadows… and whatever you do..." he turns his head slightly, "don't look back." With that, the blue skinned man dips into the forest of pipes vanishing from sight.

* * *

Commander Wolffe and his squadron follow a signal leading back to the surface. Apparently, the signal they're after seems to have been transmitting from below the prison, around the time the 127th were attacked.

On the surface, Wolffe stumbles upon the discarded autopilot device next to Stormtrooper chest armor. Knelling down, Wolffe picks up the device as his squad fills the open area surrounded by pipes. Looking up at the sky, the sound of a transports engine catches his attention. Standing back up, he makes out a ship coming their way.

"Sir!" A trooper calls getting the commander's attention, "we have an unknown bogie closing in our position."

"I can see that trooper," Wolffe acknowledges broadly. "You know what to do… blow it out the sky."

"Yes sir!" Hearing his orders via helmet com-links, the squadron unleashes a barrage of laser fire lighting up the night sky damaging the ship as it begins to stall in the air.

Watching his clones take down the ship, Wolffe stands perfectly still with his hands behind his back as the ship is knocked out the sky and comes careening to the ground. Crashing through the pipes, the ships metal haul grinds to a halt directly in front of Wolffe who hadn't flinched at all. "Good work troopers!" Wolffe exclaims. "Now let's discover what imbecile was behind this craft's controls." He fans his hand order a few troopers to enter the blasted out haul of the craft.

Cautiously, the troopers enter in. Blasters held close pressed against their shoulders, one eye looking through the sight. Curiosity gets the best of him, Wolffe decides to enter the downed craft. Removing his helmet he steps inside.

* * *

Watching their every move from the cover of the immense pipes, Tyranus is crouched low, his entire body in shadow despite a strip of light across his eyes. In his hand, he holds a key padded device waiting for the right moment. As he sits and waits, Jango's voice plays through his mind… _if you are caught, the self-destruct sequence code is 6-5-3..._

Wolffe and his clones reach the cockpit of the craft finding it vacant. Then, a beeping sound catches Wolffe's attention. Faintly, the noise leads him to a door he hadn't notice. Forcing it open, his eyes land on some sort of device with a pulsating red light flashing out of the darkness. Activating his helmet light, the light brightens up the device, making Wolffe's blood fall cold in an instant. "Sly son of a bit—"

The bomb detonates. The ship is engulfed in a ball of orange and red as well as the area it had crashed in. The explosion consumes the rest of Wolffe's squadron ending in a massive shockwave that ripples across the piped landscape.

The force of the blast knocks Tyranus back with a jet of hot air. The fiery explosion transforms the darken landscape into daylight. Still on the prison grounds, master Tiin sees the mushroom cloud of fire rising high into the sky. Through the Force, he feels the lost off Wolffe and the Wolfpack.

A long way from the blast site, Cad Bane pauses looking back at the explosion. Smiling, he knows Tyranus cause it somehow, "looks like I'll be seeing you soon, Sith," he grumbles somewhat cheerfully to himself.

* * *

Navigating the pipes aimlessly, Qymaen takes a quick break from running. Aurra, the Dathomirian and the other prisoner have split their separate ways, not because they couldn't stand each other but to increase their chances of getting away.

Emerging out of the darkness, Qymaen flinches at an approaching figure. Slowly reaching for his blaster at his side, he readies to fire. Then as the figure comes closer, he makes out that white haired Human walking towards him calm as he can be. "I knew you weren't dead," Qymaen says happy to see Tyranus in one piece.

"Really?" Tyranus chuckles, "you almost looked surprised to see me this time…" The repercussion of the flaming explosion thunders loudly. Tyranus sets his mood back to the seriousness of the situation. "We're not out of this yet my friend… let's keep moving."


	8. Up against us

**_Part I_**

* * *

_Chapter VII_

**Up against us**

* * *

An eerier misty morning light comes over Coruscant, the events that took place in the early morning hours rattles the Jedi Temple.

Master of the Dark Side, Yoda looks out the window of Jedi Council, alone, in the grey shadows of the chamber. His stinging red eyes gleam like two rubies out the darkness of his hooded robes gliding across the city sprawling world. Out on the sun rising horizon, a thick blacken plume of smoke obscures the crimson sunlight covering the entire landscape for kilometers.

Feeling the strong disturbance in the Force, the Dark Side raging inside Yoda flexes and expanse distorting the air around him. Force lighting ignites spontaneous around the corrupted Grandmaster. Closing his eyes, the dark matter absorbs back into his body. Letting out a dramatic sigh, the Grandmaster opens his eyes allowing his mind to be consumed with the Dark Side clouding his judgment with thoughts of revenge and the desire to kill.

* * *

Moments later, Yoda commences a Council, summoning the Higher Guard Jedi along with all the Council members. "Another Council meeting?" Ahsoka sighs tiredly walking alongside her masters Anakin and Obi-Wan. "We literally just got out of one a few hours ago… and that was a waste of time."

"I disagree young one," Obi-Wan replies stroking his beard. "Time is the least thing wasted in a Council congregate, every word spoken in that chamber strengthens our Empire and weakens anyone who dares opposes us."

"Obi-Wan's right my apprentice," Anakin agrees robotically keeping his eyes forward on the corridor. "As Jedi, it's our duty to resume and ensure constant control of the galaxy, or things will fall apart."

Ahsoka doesn't say anything in reply absorbing her masters' words. The three Jedi arrive at the Council chamber in one of the high pylons extending far over the temple. The other Jedi Council and Higher Guard have also arrived taking their prepositioned seats.

Stopping at the perimeter of the circular chamber, Anakin removes his hood. The Council members glance at the Knight and Padawan momentary with emotionless stares. Neither Anakin nor Ahsoka are members of the Council or Higher Guard, though Yoda summoned them along with Obi-Wan to observe but not to interfere in anyway. Shifting his gaze around the room, he quickly notices that many Jedi that were spread in other locations around the galaxy are present in person rather hologram. _That's strange…_ he muses randomly. Whenever the Jedi are together in one place at the same time indicates something bad had happened.

The chamber door hisses shut sealing the Council hall in silence minus the hundreds of hover vehicle's zooming outside in the distant. Suddenly, the atmosphere in the room had changed into a deep sense of dread. All the Jedi sense the feeling… the Dark Side invading the chamber heightening their anxiety, their anger and vamping it into hatred. "Captured your attention… I assume?" Yoda's crackly hollow voice sounds from out of nowhere. Close by the window, the Grandmaster turns in his hovering chair facing the dozen Jedi who didn't even notice he was in the room until he spoke. Though he was by the window, he somehow masked his Force signature as well as his short body from sight. No other Jedi knows how their Master of Masters manages to pull such a mind-bending technique. "From within, the Dark Side has rejuvenated you."

"It's always an honor to be in your presence, my Lord," Mace Windu accolades hiding the repulses in his voice. "I sensed a disturbance in the Force… this convocation may be of grave importance."

Yoda grumbles before speaking, "strong disturbance in the Force, all of you felt, I know…" He directs his attention to all of the Jedi in the chamber. His eyes stop on Anakin for a split moment before moving on, "Summoned you I have, for urgent dire news…"

"What do you speak of my Lord?" Obi-Wan ask gaining the Grandmaster's attention.

Oddly enough, Yoda grins, "funny you should asks, Obi-Wan," he jeers forcibly. "Would've known by now of what took place hours ago, I presumed incorrectly…" Obi-Wan as well as many other Jedi look around perplexed. They know something had happened, the distress was felt all throughout the galaxy, forcing them all to come back to the temple in the first place.

"The Triple Max facility in district 62 had a recent stir with prisoners trying to escape," Gallia informs growing tired of the Obi-Wan's bewilderment. Obi-Wan eyes bulge but his face remains impartial. Gallia continues, "as far as we know, one of the prisoners was the kaleesh…"

Ahsoka shoots Anakin a stare, though he doesn't look to her. In the corner of his eye, he can make out the shock written across her face. "Did he escape?" She outbursts out of nowhere stunning Anakin. All the Jedi look to her, "did he escape?"

"You don't have a say in this Council?" Plo Koon speaks coldly pointing a finger at her. "You are only here to observe, Padawan… now be quite." The Jedi immediately turn their gaze away from the Togrutan Jedi as if she's insignificant. Ahsoka doesn't care. She just asks a simple question in which the stubborn cold Jedi have no desire in sharing directly to her.

"Well," Obi-Wan starts crossing his legs and facing the Council "did he?"

Windu and Mundi look to Yoda sitting between them. The Grandmaster holds on the reply. He, Gallia and Unduli assume Qymaen must have since Master Tiin hasn't reported any news of the operation in over four hours. "Glad to share with us all," Yoda speaks, "…Master Tiin may be." Pushing a button on his hover chair, the Council chamber windows tint as a hologram of Master Tiin takes form in the center.

Preoccupied barking orders, Master Tiin directs his attention to the hologram seeing the entire Council as well as the Higher Guard staring at him. "Sorry my Master," he bows directing his apologies to Yoda, "For not contacting you like I promised… I've been—"

"Elaborate some other time, Master Tiin…" Yoda stops him. "Status on your mission's success, I am eager to hear…" Tiin's heart sinks hearing Yoda's voice fall into a growl, he assumes his master knows he has failed.

"The mission…" Tiin starts ill-fated, "was a disaster." His words stun the Jedi even the ones who guessed he failed. Master Tiin isn't one to be timid. Then again, he is talking to the entire Jedi powerhouse along with the Lord of Darkness himself. "The prisoners managed to slip through our defensive—we lost so many clones…"

"How many casualties, Master Tiin?" Plo asks pausing the master's fluttering speech.

Tiin takes a moment wiping the sweat from his face, "total." He simply says. "Commander Wolffe and his entire unit were wiped out."

The news hits the Jedi like a ton of bricks, neither of them could hide their distraught faces. The Wolfpack were their most acclaimed unit going back to the time when the Jedi were just boarding the Dark Side. Hearing the loss of the Wolfpack only fuels their anger. "So you are saying that a handful of prisoners killed an entire unit of the most elite clone squadron ever created?" Windu tries to clarity.

"To be honest Master Windu," Tiin begins, "I have the slightest clue of how it happened, which is why I am still here at the prison investigating along with the 127th." Taking the horned Jedi's attention, the murmur of a clone trooper is barely heard through the hologram, but Tiin nods his head hearing the words. "An officer just informed me that the moment before Commander Wolffe's death, the squad engaged a restricted cargo craft..."

"Possibly was an escape craft for the prisoners…" Kit Fisto suggests.

"Which means if Commander Wolffe and his men perished… then so did they," Shaak Ti adds.

Closing his eyes, Yoda hums lowly, "perish… they have not." He says still feeling for the Force, "Eluded us, I fear they have." None of the Jedi question Yoda's judgment, they take his word for it.

"Then that leaves only one unanswered question, "Fisto starts sitting at the edge of his chair. "How did a handful of prisoners, of which we had locked up in permanent isolation, manage to stage such an elaborate escape? No one in the history of this Empire has ever escaped our facilities."

_Yeah, up until a few hours ago…_ Ahoska snickers in her mind folding her arms. Somehow, she receives a blank stare from Yoda whom she fears must have somehow read her thoughts.

"Something on your mind, young Padawan?" Yoda asks suspiciously directly everyone's attention to her. She simply shakes her head easing the anxiety raging inside. Yoda grumbles a slight laugh before getting back into the main conversation. "Right you are, Lord Fisto. Simpleminded and mentally damaged these prisoners are—alone they could not have gotten out alive." Yoda puts his attention to Tiin, "the Kaleesh's master had returned to save him, I assumed?"

"Yes my master," Tiin replies. "And not only that, but this man had a remarkable connection to the Force… and his lightsaber moves were… eerily similar to our own."

"Sith…" Mundi heaves in disgust.

"Now master Mundi," Obi-Wan starts, "let's not jump to the conclusion that this man may be a Sith…"

"It's true," Windu speaks in raising his gaze off the floor. "This Sith may be of that of which has been causing us trouble for the past ten years… just won't die no matter what."

"And it may be the same Sith my apprentice and I encounter on Mustafar," Shaak Ti adds in. "It makes logical sense, since the creature was taken in after sabotaging our cloning banks, and I don't think that slimy… _thing_ could've though of something as sophisticated as that."

As the Jedi continue their back and forth discussion on the Sith, Anakin keeps his ears open on the conversation. Then he feels Ahsoka tugging at his robe's sleeve, getting half his attention. He leans his head down to her indicating that he's listening but keeps his eyes trained on the Council. "They keep saying this guy's a Sith," she whispers. "But if he is in fact a Sith… then how did he know that there was a cloning facility on Mustafar? No one but the Council knows the location of each of the cloning facilities…"

Processing her words, Anakin's brain clicks in. _She's right…_ he booms in his head. Anakin straightens back up folding his arms close to his chest. He fights from speaking out of term even though his Padawan just said something that sticks out as odd. Though bringing it up might backfiring upon him, so he remains quite.

Pausing the meeting, Master Tiin receives urgent news from the 127th field commander. Studying a holographic image, the horned Jedi's face falls cold. "By the Force…" he sighs dramatically. His spontaneous change in mood sets the Council on edge. "Send this image to the Council right now!" Tiin orders troopers in the command post.

After a few moments, an image takes Tiin's place materializing slowly in the center of the chamber. At first the holographic image is blurry, then as it continues to feed through the hologram, the face of Tyranus appears crystal clear for all to see.

"What!?" Fisto exclaims gripping the armrest of his chair. The other Jedi share the same reaction, minus the words. Their tense body language and widen eyes tells that. "This… this cannot be!"

Confused, Anakin and Ahsoka remain unaffected by the surveillance close up of Tyranus. They have no clue who this man is, but their masters know all too well. "This has to be some mistake," Mundi suggest. "There is no way that this man is still alive!"

"Who is he?" Ahsoka blares out once again. Windu folds his lip as he realized that this image of Tyranus is being broadcast to individuals he doesn't want to see. Raising out his seat, the Master of the Order projects his voice, "all members of the High Guard, exit the Council immediately." Without question, the dozen Jedi that makeup the Higher Guard exit the chamber.

Remaining stationary, Anakin doesn't move catching Windu's attention. "What are you doing Skywalker?"

"I'm not going anywhere, master," Anakin says widening his stance. Ahsoka shifts her eyes nervously to her master seeing the seriousness on his face. She too remains standing by his side.

"What was that, boy?" Mace recalls in a cooling voice approaching the Jedi Knight. Ahsoka shivers from Windu's persona, though Anakin remains fix as the master stops an arm's reach from him. Obi-Wan can sense the hatred radiating off Windu and so do the other Council members. "This matter doesn't concern you," he shifts his eyes on Ahoska, "nor your apprentice."

"With all due respect, master…" Anakin starts as genial as he can, "this matters to all of us. Why bring us to the Council in the first place only to kick half of us out?"

Mace lunges at Anakin who doesn't flinch a muscle, "take your Padawan and leave this chamber…" Windu speaks through gritted teeth. Both Jedi meet eye to eye seeing each other reflections. Not once does Anakin blink.

Anakin's eyes land on Obi-Wan who shakes his head slowly telling his former Padawan to stand down. Without further words, Anakin turns away walking pass Ahsoka who gives Windu and the remaining Jedi inner circle one last look before following her master out. Watching them out, Windu uses the Force to close the door behind them.

* * *

Storming his way through the main corridor of the temple, the rage of the Dark Side speeds through Anakin's veins. His hood draped over his head, his fist balled tightly, Force Lighting tingling around his knuckles. "Master…!" He hears his Padawan call after him, but he keeps walking down the corridor.

Finally, he stops standing by a window giving Ahoska time to reach him. "They have no right," he grumbles grinding his teeth. "They have no right keeping secrets from us! From their own!"

"I'm sure Master Windu and the Council have their reasons master," Ahsoka replies trying to calm his anger.

"You saw their faces," Anakin turns to her. "The way they looked at that man's picture, they were petrified, Ashoka." He looks back to the window, "someone who isn't Force sensitive could've felt their fear… their vulnerability…"

"Maybe that guy was the supposed Sith?" Ahsoka guess.

Anakin shakes his head in disagreement, "no, that man was someone else…" he trials off thinking back to what Ahsoka said earlier. "You mentioned earlier of how this Sith found out about the cloning facility on Mustafar… and how only the Council knew of their locations throughout the galaxy…"

Ahsoka raises her brow confused on where he's going with this, "what are you thinking master?"

Moving away from the window, Anakin places a hand on her shoulder putting his mouth close to her ear, "there may be a traitor in the Order…" With that, Anakin leaves his Padawan continuing down the corridor

* * *

With the commotion winding down in the Council chamber, Windu takes his seat wheezing out a sigh as he sinks into the chair. The image of Tyranus still holds everyone's gaze in disbelief. "Things are worse than we thought," Windu gravels in the silence, "a lot worse…"

"What are we to do?" Unduli asks worrisome. "How do we come about handling this situation before it grows out of hand?"

"We should gather every bounty hunter in the galaxy to hunt him down!" Tiin suggest still present through hologram. "He wouldn't stand a chance."

"We shall do no such thing, master Tiin!" Windu declines. "This man's face shall never be leaked publicly… therefore no bounty hunters."

"Agree with master Windu, I do," Yoda adds in. "Highly elusive, this man is. Very powerful in the Force, he is. Kill them all, the bounty hunters… I assume he will."

"So meanwhile we keep this whole thing under wraps, my Lord?" Obi-Wan asks.

Yoda puts his attention on the Jedi, "deal with it ourselves, we will. The Senate… kept in the dark they must… speak of this to no one, we won't."

Nodding in agreement, the Council members believe that it is best that they keep this to themselves. For the sake of the Jedi Order as well as the Dark Legion Empire.

* * *

The Council ended six hours ago, it is now midday at the temple. Master Tiin is still at the prison sorting through the dead clone troopers and interrogating the prisoners who failed to escape on Tyranus' and the other escapees' whereabouts.

Under Yoda's orders, Shaak Ti and Plo Koon along with their apprentices are sent to assist Tiin. Though they are really there to find any traces of Tyranus that he unwittingly left behind.

The Jedi Temple is quite for a change, the 501st remain at their post on the perimeter keeping a gridlock guard of their masters and creators. Obi-Wan paces the corridors of the temple meditating his mind. For a split second, he thinks about Anakin, but then he forces the thought out of his mind consuming it with dark thoughts. _Worrying about others is for the weak! _He thinks boastfully sinking his head lower into his darken hooded robes. _This Tyranus thing needs my attention more than him…_

Continuing his dark meditation, Obi-Wan finds himself strolling down a clear hallway. The bright sunrays gleam through the large oval shape windows. Passing the windowpanes, the heat of the sun warms Obi-Wan's darken face. Coming down the hall from the opposite end, Ahsoka walks alongside another Padawan. The two talk lowly between one another when her eye catches Obi-Wan's darken figure slumping her way. Both their eyes meet momentarily, until she takes her gaze away as if she didn't know him. Her and the Padawan pass Obi-Wan and continue their way, leaving him baffled. _That's odd for the Youngling… she's quite for once…_

Turning the corner of the hallway, Obi-Wan pauses in step when his eyes land on a Human Jedi walking alongside a clone trooper. Dressed in an all-black armored suit covering the Jedi's body from the neck down, the Jedi's eyes glance from the trooper and onto Obi-Wan standing at the end of the hall. The Jedi says something to the clone before approaching Obi-Wan, "Master Qui-Gon, you've been away for a while..." Obi-Wan addresses the Jedi.

"I was attending to affairs on Onderon…" Qui-Gon begins clipping his lightsaber to the waistband of his armed suit. Obi-Wan removes his hood, "apparently," Qui-Gon continues. "The Onderon militia has been giving our forces a hard time. Though I dealt with them…" he holds his gauntlet hand to his face examining a slick of dried blood on one of his talons, "…in my own special way." Lowering his hand, Qui-Gon sets his attention on Obi-Wan. "So what troubles have arose since my absent?"

Obi-Wan opens his mouth attempting to speak, but nothing escapes his lips. He doesn't know where to begin… "come with me master, we can't discuss this here."

"As you wish Obi-Wan."

Obi-Wan leads his former master to the open courtyard out back, where Master Sinube is in the middle of instructing a column of Jedi Younglings saber techniques. Stopping at the arched entryway, Obi-Wan gets Qui-Gon's attention. "He's back…" he simply says.

Qui-Gon cracks a smile finding Obi-Wan's mysterious tone amusing, "who?"

Obi-Wan inches close so that his words aren't overheard, "_he's _back… Tyranus."

The smirk on Qui-Gon's face falls flat, "you're certain of this?"

Obi-Wan nods, "during the Council, Master Tiin showed us an image of the Force Weaver. Unfortunately, he was a part of a recent prison break in which he eliminated Commander Wolf and his entire squadron."

"I felt the disturbance in the Force," Qui-Gon turns to the courtyard scratching his ducktail style beard. "I also smelt the ash of burning flesh in the air upon my landing on Coruscant."

Obi-Wan stands next to the master as the two look out at the Jedi Youngling at their cartographer training session. "Lord Yoda specifically informed us to speak of this to no one, that includes the Senate and the Emperor."

"Keeping secrets again I see…?" Qui-Gon muses looking up at the sky. "As he wishes… my lips are sealed." The two master remain standing at the archway looking out on Master Sinube continues training the Younglings.

* * *

A hazy fog has come over the temple taking over the sunny blue sky that hung in the morning. Ahsoka is in the temple's archives browsing on one of the databases. For the past three hours, she's been sitting at this one computer scrolling through the records of all the Sith Warriors that existed as far back as 200 years. Remembering Tyranus' face, she continues on anticipating that Human face to pop up on the screen. Nothing close to his facial feature presents itself, on top of that, many—_all_ of the Sith are deceased. Falling back in her chair in disappointment, Ahsoka shuts her tried aching eyes and massages them. _This is pointless!_ She shouts in her mind.

"Having trouble Youngling?" A warm voice asks.

Opening her eyes, Ahsoka looks up over the database screen at the Jedi Lore Keeper Jocasta Nu. Quickly, Ahsoka straightens up at the sight of her, "no ma'am, I'm alright…" she stampers faking that she's reading something on the screen.

Jocasta smiles walking around to Ahsoka's side. Placing a hand on the back of her chair, Jocasta studies what the Padawan is up to. "Hard to believe you've been eyeing a blank screen for hours…?"

Ahsoka sighs in defeat, taking her hand from her cheek she presses a key springing information back on the screen. The picture of a red skin Zabrak fills the monitor. His name is written below the picture: _Darth Maul_. "Doing research about Sith I see?" Jocasta asks suspiciously. "I remember this one well, he was once a Jedi—powerful Jedi. As a matter of fact, many of the Sith on this database were once Jedi… but they betrayed us."

"Wait a minute, there was more than one Sith?" Ahsoka asks. "I though their code only allowed two at a time?"

"It did," Jocasta admits, "though all of that changed after the war, when a number of former Jedi reestablished the dead order to destroy us…" She looks away from the screen, "luckily… we destroyed them first."

"I never knew that," Ahsoka says. "I've never heard anyone in this temple ever speak of Jedi who betrayed us."

"That's because we reframe from telling such an old tale," Jocasta replies wisely. "Why dwell on the past, when you can make better of the future?" Ahsoka cocks her head as an agreement to Jocasta's words. "Which brings me back to you…" Jocasta starts centering the conversation on Ahsoka, "why are you researching Sith to begin with?"

Ahsoka fights the urge of telling the Lore Keeper her business, even though Jocasta is the only Jedi who isn't cold and callus like the rest. Still, the Padawan is weary of letting her know, fearing that she'll snitch to Lord Yoda about her actions. "Well…?" Jocasta pressures in Ahsoka's nervous silence.

"It was nothing," Ahsoka replies rising out the chair, "I was just curious of the subject since my masters won't tell me anything about it."

Partly nodding her head in the Padawan's response, Jocasta allows her to pass by her. "That's what the Archives are for young one, utilize them well," she speaks watching Ahsoka exit the Archives. As the Togrutan Jedi leaves her sight, Jocasta drops her smile and replaces it with a serious face. She had a hunch on why the Jedi was searching Sith, but she keeps the thought to herself.

* * *

The evening light casts a crimson glow across the Coruscant sky. The intense neon glow of the cityscape begins to show itself. In an apartment overlooking the Galactic Senate Convocation Center, a woman dressed in a torques colored dress sits on the edge of her bed brushing long strands of her brown hair. Humming a lullaby to herself, mind flowing freely of calm soothing thoughts, she closes her eyes relaxing her body as the hairbrushes comb gently through her mane.

Through the open window to her room, a light gust of wind brushes against her cheek. The door to her apartment closes shut catching her attention. Anxious, the woman puts her brush down on the bed and gets up to investigate. The apartment is all but empty besides herself, no one should be here. It's silent as she steps lightly down the short corridor leading to the living room. Then she hears hard pressing footsteps shuffling around her living space. "Hello?" She calls warily. Entering the living space, the woman spots a gold plated humanoid protocol droid. The anxiety in the woman dies down, "Threepio…" she sighs in relief.

The droid spins around startled, "Oh! My lady… I didn't expect to see you here."

"Well it is my home, Threepio," the woman replies wrapping her arms around herself, "why are you here anyway?"

"I came to watch over your home until you returned," the droid replies. "Though I see my services are unnecessary, sorry for frightening you my lady."

3PO wobbles over for the door when the woman stops him, "you know what, I can use the company. I hate being the only person taking up space in such a large apartment."

If 3PO could smile, he would, he bows slightly then enters the kitchen.

The woman heads back down the corridor to her room laughing at the fact that she was frightened by 3PO. Turning the corner to her room, she pauses stricken with fright at a tall robed person standing by the window. Instinctively, the woman reaches through the split in her skirt for a blaster strapped around her thigh. "Who are you!?" She demands aiming the weapon at the individual. Not even fazed by the woman's voice, the cloak figure doesn't turn around to acknowledge her. "I will shoot you…" she threatens.

Out of nowhere, the figure snickers stunning the woman, "you wouldn't shoot a Jedi would you…?" Turning around, the figure removes the hood from his head allowing the woman to see his face.

She lowers the blaster, "Anakin!? How did you…? Where did you…?"

"Glad to see you too Padmé," he leans in kissing her on the cheek. She takes it numbly as he walks by entering the corridor.

"Wait, Anakin!" She walks after the Jedi as he enters her living room. "What are you doing in my house?"

"I can't check in on my favorite Senator?" He replies slyly sitting down on the horseshoe shape sofa centered in the living space. She gives him a stinging glare folding her arms, "don't tell me you're mad?" Anakin chuckles.

"I don't know, you tell me?" She replies smartly. "You know what'll happen if you invade a Galactic Senator's personal space?" She drops the frown and forms a smile.

"Please, not like it's my first?" He removes his talon gauntlet gloves and set them on the glass countertop in front of him.

"So why are you here Jedi?" Padmé asks trying to keep the conversation formal, "has the Order grown tired of your hardheadedness?"

Anakin laughs at that, "you know me," the smile fades from his face, "but you might as well say that…"

The playfulness leaves Padmé at the seriousness in Anakin's tone, "what are you saying Anakin?" She asks joining him on the sofa.

The Jedi exhales deeply before speaking, he knows what he's about to tell her is against the Jedi Code in discussing Jedi affairs outside the temple walls to outsiders. It is strongly forbidden and punishable by Force Lighting torture for a week. Then again, Anakin has already broken the number one rule in the codebook by being secretly married, and not just to anyone, but a Galactic Senator at that. In the old days, a Jedi who was found out to have an intimate relationship with an outsider were forced to leave the Order. In this new Dark Order however, it is punishable by death… of the Jedi's partner. The Jedi is then carbonated for life as punishment.

"The Jedi are being… _reluctant_ as always…" Anakin explains as narrowly as he can. "I can't shake this feeling that they're keeping too many secrets from seeing the light of day."

"I'm sure Lord Yoda has—"

Anakin raises his hand gently nudging her with the Force, "stop, please don't say it… I've been hearing it all day."

"Well its true Anakin," Padmé presses, "there will be things the Jedi Council won't share with the rest of you at the temple… the Emperor and his inner circle do it all the time in the Senate…"

"That's the Senate," Anakin objects raising his voice, "this is the Jedi Order… Jedi don't keep secrets because secrets lead to deception!" He springs off the sofa placing his hands behind his head.

"_Deception_?" Padmé repeats sourly, "Anakin, the Jedi deceive each other all the time. I mean just look at the number of Jedi who have tried to kill Lord Yoda over the past two years alone. Not to mention that he survived thirteen assassination attempts… _thirteen!"_

Anakin staggers to the window looking at the temple from afar. He removes his hands throwing his head back. He knows Padmé is right, the will of the Dark Side and its lust for power pits the Jedi to forcefully take the title of _Lord of Darkness_. That means killing Yoda in a duel, in which no Jedi in the past twenty years have succeeded nor probably ever will. "I'm not speaking just about Lord Yoda, Padmé…" he spins around facing her, "I'm talking about the fate of the Order itself and that someone in the Council isn't whom they say they are."

"And how did you jump to that conclusion?" She asks tilting her head a bit.

"My apprentice—my Padawan told me something…" he decides to scrub the entire story feeling that he doesn't have to explain himself. "Look, you just have to take my word for it, alright?" Padmé blankly nods to his vague explanation.

"Looks like you Jedi aren't the only ones having problems with inside threats…" Padmé speaks gaining Anakin's attention.

Before she can continue, 3PO enters the living room interrupting their conversation. "Master Skywalker!" He exclaims, "oh it is so nice to see you here this lovely evening."

Anakin looks away from 3PO to Padmé, "how long has he been here?" He asks her.

"Only for a short while sir," 3PO answers for her which earns him a cold stare from Anakin, "I apologized for my intrusion sir, I arrived to watch over Senator Amidala's property."

An Awkward silence fills the room tempting Padmé to speak, "ok then… you can leave now Threepio, I'll call you if I need anything."

"As you wish my lady," 3PO bows taking his leave out the apartment.

Anakin closes the door behind the droid, "you had Threepio here this whole time and didn't tell me?" He asks angrily walking back to Padmé.

"I didn't think it would've mattered," she replies. "He's a droid Anakin, he doesn't eavesdrop."

"But he can pick up voices and store them in his memory," he tells her. "Which is very much like eavesdropping, he could potentially expose me for conversing Jedi affairs outside the temple."

Padmé rolls her eyes, "you're too paranoid, plus you haven't told me anything new that I don't already know about your _secrets _at the temple_._ I'm a Senator Anakin, not some peasant like the rest of the people in this galaxy. It's my job to know things that can lead to our Empire's downfall."

"Well some things are better kept in dark," Anakin says turning his back to her returning to the window. "You have enough to worry about with the Senate, let me deal with the Jedi."

A brisk gust of wind flows through the living room in their silence, Padmé raises her eyes scanning Anakin's back. Her heart begins to race as she begins to speak, "I disagree. Some things shouldn't remain hidden, especially the most important ones we take for granted…"

Anakin keeps his back to her still looking out the window, "where are you getting at Padmé?" He asks dryly.

She sighs calming the pit of anxiety raging in her gut. With her heart pounding loudly in her ears, she stands and says straight out, "I'm pregnant."

Frozen in complete shock, Anakin turns himself around facing her. She holds a plain smile across her face as he stares blankly at her trying to hide his surprise feelings as best as he can. "By who?"

"Anakin…"

"I'm just kidding with you Padmé," he laughs going over to her and wrapping his arms around her waist. That's when he feels the hump slightly showing through her gown. "You need to start wearing bigger clothing." He drops his head, "If anyone finds out that I…"

Padmé shushes the Jedi taking his face into her hands, "no one will ever know Anakin."

"What'll happen when it gets bigger?" Anakin dreads, "people will notice… they'll start asking question."

"And I'll simply ignore them," Padmé replies in a soft voice resting her chin on his shoulder. "They can stare all they want… but they'll never find out who the father is."

Anakin breaths out nervously gliding his fingers through her long brown hair. He hugs her closer to his body looking over her shoulder, thinking heavily on their future and what's in store.

* * *

The following day, the Jedi Temple is quite. The events that took place yesterday seem to have faded. Master Tiin along with Plo Koon and Shaak Ti have returned to the temple with no evidence of Tyranus or Qymaen's whereabouts. Not too long ago, Stormtroopers have caught up with both fugitives that were involved in the escape. The Dathomirian was killed in a shootout in broad daylight in the streets of Coruscant, while his Human partner was apprehended. News of the Human prisoner's capture as well as the Dathomirian's death was heard all over the Holonet. Cad Bane and Aurra Sing's mug shots were also released to the press, though they're still at large.

First thing in the afternoon, the Jedi Council comes together once again discussing their options in finding and capturing Tyranus alive. That is until their meeting is interrupted when the Council receives word that the Emperor of the Dark Legion Empire is arriving at the temple along with another delegate. He is expected at any time putting the Jedi on edge. There must be a reason the Emperor is coming in person as supposed to communicating through hologram from the safety and comfort of his office. This'll be the Emperor's second in person meeting with the Jedi Council.

Shortly after hearing word of the Emperor's arrival, he comes as scheduled, entering the chamber. Dressed in a basic all black tunic with a silver chain lining around his collar and a black cape dragging along the floor behind him, one would've expect this ordinary, Human looking man is the ruler of an entire galaxy. He takes the center of the chamber for all the Jedi eyes can be on him. His other disciple, an elderly Human Senator stands off close to the walls alongside the Emperor's personal Jedi clone guards, who so happen to be clones of former Force Weaver Jedi Sifo Dyas.

"Emperor Organa…" Windu speaks, "would you like a seat, your excellency?"

"I rather stand," Organa declines. "I don't expect this meeting to last long anyway."

"Pleasure it is, to have you in the temple once again, Emperor," Yoda complements in a raspy voice. "Inform us of your surprise visit… eager we are to hear."

"Right you are Lord Yoda, I will get straight to the point then," Organa begins. "A few weeks ago, I sent three representatives to Mandalore in hopes of their forces joining our league… unfortunately, the Mandalorians took my action of reaching out as offensive..." He goes over to the Senator standing by the wall who is holding a large sack in front of him. Organa takes the bag from the Senator and takes his stance in the middle of the chamber. "It seems that the Mandalorians sent back their regards…" He tips the bag upside down and out fall three severed heads still leaking blood and spinal fluid all over the chamber floors.

Neither of the Jedi are fazed by the carnage and nor is the Emperor. However, the other Senator keeps from vomiting at the sight as well as the smell. "I bet whatever they said caused their demise?" Obi-Wan manages to flux in a joke causing a few Council members to snicker evilly.

"This is an act of war," Mundi speaks. "We've granted the Mandalorians temporary independence from our Empire, but it seems they have lost that privilege."

"I agree," a voice speaks barging in on the meeting. The voice came from Qui-Gon entering the chamber, still dressed in his armored suit in which all Jedi Knights and Masters wear under their robes. Qui-Gon immediately senses the spike in anxiety emitting from the Jedi, especially from the Emperor. "Organa…" he glimpses to the Human Senator, "Palpatine… what brings you to the Jedi Temple?"

"You have no right to enter this Council, Jinn," Organa speaks in a shaking voice, "you have no right to be near me!"

"Calm down Emperor," Qui-Gon takes one step in which the clone Jedi guards activate their sabers and hold them at his neck. "Tell your mindless imitations of Master Dyas to stand down," he takes his lightsaber off this waistband in which the clones hold their blades even closer to his neck heating his skin. He holds the lightsaber in the air, "I'm not here to fight," he drops the saber to the floor. "I'm here to discuss our rules of engagement of claiming Mandalore."

"You do not speak here!" Mundi spits coldly. "Clones, escort Master Jinn out this chamber and out the temple if possible."

The clone Jedi deactivate their sabers and grab Qui-Gon by the armpits, "you shouldn't have done that!" In a blink of an eye, Qui-Gon's lightsaber leaps off the floor and flows into his hand. Activating the saber, he spins out the clones' grip and smites both their heads in one swoop. Their headless bodies fall at his feet. Organa and Palpatine cringe at the sudden sight of the loss of the guards. Yoda and the Council don't even flinch. "They have his body…" Qui-Gon gravels, "yet they lack his dexterity!" He deactivates his saber, "now I came here not to fight, but to negotiate Mandalore's conquer."

"It seems exile hasn't taught you anything," Windu speaks. Qui-Gon steps in making Organa back away to Yoda's side. "What makes you think you can just walk into this chamber?"

"Well as I see it, Mace. You Jedi don't have the slightest clue of the galaxy's opinion on us. You see in my seven years of exile, I've traveled to many independent worlds. The people of these worlds fear the sight of us, they tremble at the sound of our names and they'll give up their Force sensitive children without a fight. However, once we leave their planet in peace, they despise us. They plot against us, they plan vengeance and create rebellions."

"Where are you getting at with this?" Mundi asks tiredly.

"Independence… it must be stripped totally from the galaxy," Qui-Gon replies quick. "Or things like this…" he kicks one of the severed heads directing it at Organa's feet. "Will continue to happen."

Yoda inhales shallowly, "this threat… damaging it is to our Empire, it will become. Conquer, Mandalore we must."

Stepping over the severed head, Organa speaks, "it's settled then, we will send three clone battalions along with five—"

Qui-Gon interrupts the Emperor flicking his tongue, "you lost me at _clone battalions _your _excellency_… as you may know, clones can be a little… unpredictable," he pushes a layer of his long stingy hair revealing a cartelized scar across his cheek to his ear. Organa shimmers a frown at the Jedi's reference. "I suggest we initiate forces in our disposal that are less single-minded."

Organa clears his throat, "that can be rearranged…" He speaks lowly. "The Nabooian Royal Navy and the Alderaan Warrior Brigade will bombard the planet from above, but clone troopers will lead the planetary attack."

Qui-Gon cracks a smile holding his hands behind his back, "sounds like a to-the-books invasion Emperor." He shifts his eyes to Yoda, "with your permission my Lord, I will like to reissue my rank as general and participate in leading our forces through this battle."

"This choice, isn't mine to make, Lord Jinn," Yoda replies. "Emperor's decision in the matter, it shall be."

"I allow it," Organa agrees with a sigh surprise Qui-Gon. "Do whatever necessary in claiming this planet."

"Thank you your excellency," Qui-Gon bows.

"I will go as well," Windu speaks out gaining Qui-Gon's attention. "The Mandalorians are a warrior race. It'll take a lot of effort in successfully submitting them."

"As will I," Obi-Wan blurbs out. Qui-Gon straightens up smiling at his former Padawan. "I had a… I have an old acquaintance with someone in the Mandalorian Royals. I may even get a chance to end this with as little bloodshed as possible."

"I'm afraid it's a little too late for that Kenobi," Windu says. "These Mandalorians are hostile and a threat to our Empire. Still, if you believe you can fair better then these three," he gestures to the severed heads on the floor. "Then by all means, try."

"Thank you, my master," Obi-Wan cuffs his hands and bows in his seat.

* * *

The Council lets out and the Emperor along with Palpatine return to the Convocation Center. While leaving the Council chamber, Yoda and Mace Windu stop Obi-Wan. The other Jedi exit the chamber leaving only the three of them behind. When the door closes behind them, Mace speaks, "our spies have located Tyranus."

That name stuns Obi-Wan, he doesn't know why Windu and Yoda are telling him this information, "where?" He simply asks.

"In the Arkanis sector," Windu informs, "there are many systems he can windup in, though our spies are tracking him as we speak and will soon relay the coordinates of his position."

"So why are you telling me this? You want me to go after him…?"

Yoda shakes his head slowly from side to side, "not you, your former apprentice, we speak of."

Obi-Wan's blood falls cold, "Anakin!? You want Anakin to go after a Force Weaver—the last Force Weaver?" Mace and Yoda stare emotionless at Obi-Wan sensing his attachment to his former Padawan. "No, he is not ready…"

"That's where you're wrong," Windu replies in a monotone. "I sensed great power in that boy the other day. He has no fear, no doubts… he's the perfect Jedi for the job."

"We are talking about a Force Weaver!" Obi-Wan strains. "This man, Tyranus, has eluded us for twenty years. He's been staging a one man war against our entire Empire and still we haven't…"

"Enough!" Yoda interrupts him. "Deliver this message to Skywalker, you will. Risk aborting your mission to Mandalore or the life of your former Padawan… a choice you have to make."

Yoda and Windu walk pass Obi-Wan leaving him to make a decision.

* * *

"…So Lord Yoda and Master Windu want me to track an escapee that has fled to Tatooine?" Anakin asks Obi-Wan as the two walk the corridors of the temple.

"Indeed, this prisoner is the missing link in discovering our lost Sith," Obi-Wan explains in a lie, keeping the real reason from surfacing.

"And this Sith… he isn't the one who so happened to stage that sabotage on Mustafar, is he?" Anakin questions suspiciously.

"Like I said Anakin, this prisoner hiding away on Tatooine will provide the answer in finding this Sith." Obi-Wan replies keeping up the lie. "This fugitive of the Empire is dangerous, I don't expect your apprentice to return…"

Anakin shoots Obi-Wan a confused glare, "don't underestimate Ahsoka, Obi-Wan. She's powerful than you think… she's already mastered Force Lighting and she hasn't even been knighted yet."

The two Jedi turn the corner leading to the hanger bay. Obi-Wan and Anakin stop at the doorway, "your right Anakin, your apprentice is strong in the Force, very. Though I advise keeping that mouth of hers form being so hasty, she reminds me so much of you." Anakin smiles at that statement.

Looking into the hanger bay, Master Windu and Jinn prepare boarding a transporter which will take them to a Star Destroyer orbiting Coruscant. "I take it your mission will be a success, Obi-Wan," Anakin says.

Obi-Wan nods to Anakin starting to the transport, he stops turning back to him, "remember… that the Dark Side is and always will be your true allied."

"Always, my master," Anakin cuffs his hands under his robes. Obi-Wan does the same continuing to the transport along with the Jedi Masters, preparing to invade Mandalore.


	9. Loose ends

**_Part I_**

* * *

_Chapter VIII_

**Loose ends**

* * *

Mos Eisley is sleepy yet busy as always. The arid air is cool and humid due to the numerous moisture vaporizers scattered across the desert settlement. All the galaxy's races and diverse ethnicities crowd the dusty streets going about their business, or either hiding away from the Stormtroopers searching for undocumented individuals or perpetrators involved in certain crimes.

In this new Imperialistic society, there are only a handful of hideaways in the galaxy away from the Empire for fugitives. And Tatooine is usually the most obvious place to hide, though at the same time it is also the hardest to look with so many undocumented people. The Stormtroopers actually stopped harassing people for identification because it was a waste of resources as well as time. Using this as their advantage, Tyranus and Qymaen can tread the settlement with ease. Blending perfectly in with the crowds of moving people, no attention from Stormtroopers or the public is drawn to them.

Entering the infamous Mos Eisley Cantina, which is known for dragging in the galaxy's cesspool of weapons dealers, smugglers and their number one customers… bounty hunters. Only a select few can enter this bar, any novice will be like blood in the water. Tyranus and Qymaen step foot into the cantina surprisingly drawing no attention to themselves. Dresses in his traditional Sith robes, having a slightly wider hood and fabric than Jedi robes which plunges the wearer into total darkness, Tyranus moves like a phantom towards the bar counter with Qymaen in toe. The deeper into the cantina they go, the more their presence starts to grab wondering eyes.

A table full of bounty hunters in the middle of playing an intense card game are caught up by the sight of them. Tyranus mostly. This mysterious man dressed in obscuring robes, taller than anyone here and walking in a confident stride. "Who the hell he think he is…?" one of the bounty hunters drawls placing his cards down. His eyes glued to the Sith as he and Qymaen take their seats at the stools lined along the counter.

The bartender comes over to Tyranus and Qymaen wiping his hands clean with a brownish towel, "what'll it be?" He asks throwing the towel over his shoulder.

"Water," Tyranus speaks still under his cloak, "boiled if possible please."

The Bartender stares into his darken face finding him strange. He cuts his eyes over to Qymaen, "what about you?"

Qymaen looks to his right where he sees a drunken smuggler mumbling to himself barely holding his own wits while chugging down a gulp full of liquid from his mug. "I'll have whatever he's having," he replies indicating to the smuggler.

The bartender chuckles at the Kaleesh's reference, "comin' right up."

After a short while of waiting, the bartender returns with their preferred drinks. For Tyranus, he slams a kettle of water in front of him. "It ain't warm, you'll have to do that yourself, stranger." He tells the Sith rather coldly. "In the back," he points to a stove located in the center of the cantina. Without looking back at where he points, Tyranus rises from his seat grabbing the kettle pot and walks for the stove calmly. When Tyranus walks a good distance, the bartender gets Qymaen's attention, "aye, you know that guy?" He asks.

Qymaen shakes his head, "I have no clue who that man is," he lies, "though I advise you keep your wondering thoughts to yourself."

Strolling through the rows and tables of bounty hunters, Tyranus continues on his way to heat up his pot of water. His shadow glides across the bounty hunters attracting their eyes to him like magnets. Neither of them have seen this man, he's no bounty hunter nor smuggler, even so, they can't sense any fear radiating off him. Tyranus makes it to the stove and places the pot on one of the burners. Patiently, he waits standing near motionless as the fire burns the bottom of the stainless steel kettle. As he waits, he sense two men approaching him from his left. Two bounty hunters, the same he saw playing cards upon walking in. "Aye!" One of them barks. They stop two feet from the Sith. "Aye, we talking to you!?" Still, Tyranus keeps his eyes on the kettle as it increase in temperature.

Aggravated by the Sith ignoring his remarks, the Rodian bounty hunter pushes Tyranus yet the Sith's body becomes stiff as a pillar and doesn't budge an inch. "What the hell?" The Rodian swears in his native tongue looking to his hands if he they're unfamiliar.

"I do not wish to harm you…" Tyranus speaks. "Though I will if you continue to trouble me."

The Sith's words causes the bounty hunter to laugh nervously. In which, all the bounty hunters in the cantina begin to laugh. Qymaen turns in his seat looking at the commotion with his friend as the center of attention, _this should be fun to watch…_

Tyranus can sense the denial in their laughs, they're afraid but aren't showing it. "You harm me…? The Rodian continues, "no, I harm you!" He swings for a hit, when suddenly, Tyranus ducks low clear of his arm and grips the bounty hunter's thigh.

Instantly, the bounty hunter's body becomes numb. Frozen like a statue unable to move. "What!? I… I can't move!" He cries trying to move a muscle but can't. His arm frozen in the motion of his punch, "the hell did you do to me!?"

The other bounty hunters stop laughing and stare in fright. The whistling pot of Tyranus' boiling water is the only sound. "I disrupted the flow of inner energy in your body, don't worry, you'll have full control of your body's motor functions in the next hour or so." Grabbing the pot from the stove, Tyranus heads back to the counter taking his seat. None of the bounty hunters dare make a move on the Sith, or they may suffer a similar fate, or worst.

"Any of you fools gonna help me out!?" The Rodian calls out at the silent cantina. "What are you all staring at? Help me!" Two bounty hunters rise from their seats and help carry the frozen bounty hunter out the cantina. Soon after, things slowly fall back to normality.

Timidly, the bartender approaches Tyranus, "listen mister… I don't want any…"

Cutting off the bartender, Tyranus tosses a few credits on the counter, "that should cover the loss of one of your customers, as well as my water." Scooping the chips into his hands, the bartender gives the Sith a nod, "now, may I have a cup?" The bartender reaches behind him and places a mug in front of Tyranus. "Thank you, that'll be all."

The bartender leaves Tyranus to enjoy his drink. "You disrupted his inner energy…?" Qymaen questions Tyranus in a low voice. "That's a new one for you, Tyranus… what'll be next, immobilizing someone by pulling their finger?"

"Don't tempt me," Tyranus laughs pouring the steaming hot water from the kettle into his mug. He then reaches into his robes taking out a packet of dried herbal tea and adds it to the water.

"You have everything in those robes," Qymaen jokes taking a sip from his beverage. "Do you have Yoda hidden in there too?"

Tyranus suppresses a laugh as he stirs the herbs within the water. He remembers his days as Master Yoda's Padawan, before he was chosen to become a Force Weaver. As a Force Weaver, he predicted the moment that Master Yoda would open the doors to the Dark Side and unleash its evil upon the temple. Even so, the shock of the moment as it happened still leaves a permanent imprint in his memory.

"I cannot believe what I'm seeing…" A voice says in disbelief from behind both men. Turning around, both their eyes fall on Jango Fett. "You actually pulled it off… you got him back."

"I'm just as surprised as you," Qymaen replies as Jango takes a seat with them.

"How… I thought for sure the Jedi would've caught you," Jango says keeping his voice low. "What about the ship? Did they…"

"I handled it Jango," Tyranus replies lifting the mug to his lips, taking a sip he continues with, "no traces remain of that vessel, believe me."

Jango sighs in relief, "then why are you guys back here in this place? It's crawling with bounty hunters, it's only a matter of time until…"

"No bounty hunter will ever know about us," Tyranus replies.

"And you know that for certain?" Jango asks skeptically. The Sith nods his head taking another calm sip of his tea. "And you two are just going to hang around here on Tatooine for how long?"

Tyranus was just about to answer Jango's constant paranoid questions when his attention is grabbed by a holoscreen on the wall of the cantina. Lowering the tea cup from his lips, he reads the news feed writing lining the bottom of the screen, '_Doctor Nuvo Vindi_ _found dead in his home on Adana_, _cause of death unknown.'_ "What is it?" Jango speaks getting Tyranus out of his deep thoughts.

"Something isn't right," the Sith replies vaguely. Getting up from his chair, Tyranus leaves out the cantina hastily.

"Where are you going?" Qymaen calls after him. Tyranus doesn't reply taking his leave. "You're not gonna finish your tea…? Tyranus!?" The Sith leaves the cantina in a hurry without uttering a word to his friends. Qymaen looks to Jango, "what was that all about?"

Jango shrugs, "I don't know," he looks up to the holoscreen, "something on the holonet got his attention." By the time he looks up, the coverage had switch to breaking news coverage of the fugitive hunt on Courscant for Cad Bane and Aurra Sing.

* * *

Finding his way to his speeder parked a good distance from Mos Eisley, Tyranus throws the hood from his head and stares out into the darken desert. The wind breezing across his face, the crisp cool air filling his lungs, he closes his eyes feeling the Force flowing through his veins. The calmness in the air is clouded with hate and distress bombarding him from every angle. The galaxy is in turmoil, more so than ever. Feeling the empty void of power just trying to fill the space, Tyranus can tell that prison break has set in motion a whole set of new problems, not just for the Dark Legion but for him as well. Kick starting his bike, the Sith launches into the desert heading for his secret hideout.

Travelling across the Tatooine desert at night is just as dangerous as its heated daylights. The dark hue of the landscape plays tricks on travelers' eyes as well as their judgmental skills. There is adequate starlight, faint though and barely enough to light the desert sands. With the Force so out-of-whack, even for a sith/Force Weaver, travelling this desert is a challenge. No GPS because it'll attract Imperial spy drones like ants to a free meal. Tyranus has to find his way to his well hidden hideout depending mainly on his eyesight and memory of landscape landmarks such as a hill or mountain peak. Such landmarks abstract and insignificant to others.

Remembering the way, Tyranus finds himself back at the hideout. Hidden within a rock face of a shallow canyon filled with sand, Tyranus coasts on his bike edgy close to the sharp reddish stone of which is the entry way to his hideout. Powering off his bike, he steps into the sand finding everything silent like always. Approaching the rock face, he prepares himself to use the Force to move a layer of rocks blocking the entrance, when he senses a feeling of uncertainty hovering over his shoulder. Glancing around, he sees nothing out of the ordinary but sand and rocks protruding out from it. Shaking the feeling off, he rolls back his shoulders and prepares to move the rocks, when out of nowhere, a boulder comes hurling at him from the sky.

With a second to bare, the Sith uses the Force to stop the boulder in midflight inches from his body. From his right ear, faintly, he hears the familiar snap hiss of a lightsaber activating. Looking in the direction, a slim humanoid silhouette gripping two short beam lightsabers charges right for him.

Reverting his energy, Tyranus launches the boulder for the Dark Jedi closing in on him, on which the Jedi effortlessly Force jumps clear of it. In midair, the Jedi Force pushes Tyranus in which he out sticks his hand breaking the invisible barrier of energy. Before he could lower his hand, the Jedi is already up on him. Flicking his saber active, Tyranus blocks the incoming anger filled slash of the Jedi. Their blades grind together, allowing Tyranus to see who exactly is attacking him. He can't see the Jedi's face for they wear a helmet as well as the standard issue chrome black combat suit along with the intimidating Force Lighting gauntlets. Breaking his blade away, Tyranus distance himself from the Jedi. "I'm shocked…" he speaks holding his saber out in a defensive stance and already panting breaths. "Didn't expect company so soon."

The Jedi says nothing prancing impatiently, sabers clinched tightly in their grasps. The Dark Side coursing strongly. Tyranus continues his rant, "Master Yoda has gotten clever over the years… though I cannot allow you to return to your master, Jedi. Though I am honest to say that this'll hurt me more than you could ever image." He holds his saber with both hands ready for an intense fight.

The Jedi stops prancing and homes in for the Sith. Anticipating the strike, Tyranus angles his blade in a guarding position at the time the Jedi slashes out. Putting one foot behind the other, Tyranus rolls with the Dark Jedi's strikes. One thing he's learned from fighting hate driven Jedi is to counter and block as much as possible until an opportunity to attack reveals itself. That would imply to most Jedi, but this one is of more skilled than he'd image. The constant bombardment of slashes is near impossible to get use too. The Jedi switches through styles that it's nearly impossible to anticipate what's next.

Blinding streaks of red impulses in Tyranus' eyes. The color is disorientating, especially in the backdrop of the dark landscape. Sticking his saber out, Tyranus traps the Jedi's duel blades giving him a split second to push his opponent away with the Force. Apparently, the Jedi has the same idea and tries to push Tyranus back. Their Force powers collide repulsing between their hands, pushing back and forth, both try to overmatch another. Surging one last push, Tyranus thrusts the Jedi away and into the air. Calling on the Force, The Jedi stabilizes in the air and outstretches their arms pulling Tyranus in.

His arms locked in place by the Jedi's Force grip. His lightsaber falls out his grasps and into the sand, the Jedi tugs him close grappling him ten feet off the ground. With a spin, the Jedi positions Tyranus so that he is aiming downward. With strong hatred, the Jedi thrusts the Sith with the Force hard into the ground.

Skipping back first against the sand, Tyranus feels his organs jump inside his body and his back stiffen upon sliding across the sharp sand. Staggering to his feet, he stares through daze eyes on the Jedi closing in on him. Spotting his lightsaber in the sand, Tyranus calls on the Force when the Jedi unleashes a flash of Force Lighting zapping the lightsaber out his Force grasps and further out of reach.

Unarmed, Tyranus watches as the Jedi continues striding for him ready to end this battle. With no other options, Tyranus reaches out with the Force, gripping the Jedi and flinging them high into the air. In that time, he uses the Force again grabbing his lightsaber. The Jedi comes tumbling out of the sky hurling for the ground. At the last possible second, the Jedi breaks their fall using the Force. Knelling on one knee, the Jedi grips the sabers from the sand. Preparing to engage again, the Jedi stops seeing Tyranus standing over with the tip of his gleaming red lightsaber at their neck. "That'll be enough fighting," Tyranus declares. "Rise," Tyranus positions the blade under the Jedi's headgear, which will have no problem slicing through.

Doing so, the Jedi slowly rising up still gripping the extinguished lightsabers in hand. "Remove your helmet Jedi," Tyranus orders. "I would like to see the face of yet another Force sensitive child of whom Master Yoda has corrupted."

Stowing their blades and placing them into scabbards in the suited armor, the Jedi reaches with both hands on the helmet preparing to take it off. Tyranus holds the saber to the Jedi's neck ready to kill them at any sign of danger. Lifting the helmet slightly from their heads, the Jedi suddenly unleashes a wave of Force Lightening at Tyranus that he blocks and absorbs within his saber. Before he knew it, the Jedi Force jumps a distance back, the helmet still keeping their face anonymous.

Giving the Sith one last look, the Jedi jumps on Tyranus' speeder bike and zips off leaving him in a dust cloud. Dispersing the cloud of dust away, Tyranus watches the Jedi becoming nothing but a dot in the Tatooine desert with a stream of dust trailing behind. Deactivating his saber, he starts to wonder who that Jedi was and how they knew he was here on Tatooine at the front door of his hideout. Whoever it was, Tyranus knows a few abstract things about his assailant. The Jedi was near-human or Human, was very strong in the Force and judging by the way the suited armor hugged close to their body and the way the Jedi moved, he guess that it was a woman. Obviously, that doesn't narrow it down at all, but it's a start.

* * *

Ridding back from Mos Eisely, Jango and Qymaen arrive back at Jango's igloo out in the Tatooine flatlands. Disembarking from their vehicle, the two men start for the igloo where Boba emerges anticipating their arrival. The closer Jango approaches his son, he sees the somewhat distraught look he holds on his face. "What is it Boba?" He asks speaking in Mandalorian. The boy says nothing pointing into the igloo. He leads his father and Qymaen inside where they see Tyranus sitting at the kitchen table with his hood draped over his head.

The sight startles Jango for he thought the Sith was a Jedi. "Why so afraid Mr. Fett?" Tyranus' voice fills the space. "I don't even need the Force to hear your heart beating from here?"

Qymaen brushes pass Jango, "where the hell have you been!?" Qymaen questions, "you just leave without saying anything!"

"Why don't you ask our friend here?" Tyranus points to Jango. "I'm sure he'll fill you in on some grey areas."

Everyone's eyes land on Jango making him nervous, "whoa, wait a second, what is this all about—I didn't do anything."

"Is that right, Mr. Fett?" Tyranus rises up from his seat. He approaches Jango, "because I have a thought that you are the least bit ignorant of this situation."

"Tyranus, what the hell are you accusing me of?" Jango asks.

The Sith removes his hood focusing his eyes on Jango, "I told one man… where I might go… I trusted this man with my very life to insure that nobody will know of my journey to Courscant…" He stops in front of Jango, "please don't force me to regret our collaboration."

Jango is speechless, "what… are you saying that I ratted you out—is that what this is all about!?" He stampers.

"You tell me," Tyranus comebacks immediately, "because not too long ago, a Jedi assassin ambushed me…" the word 'Jedi' instantly vamps up Jango's heart rate, "… and not just anywhere, but literally at the doorstep of my hideout."

"And you think I somehow tipped off this Jedi to kill you?" Jango replies skeptically raising an eyebrow. "Do you know how farfetched that sounds? Have you forgotten the reason why I'm hiding on this dust ball of a planet in the first place!?" Jango brushes pass Tyranus sitting himself in the chair the Sith had gotten up from. "Here, let me remind you," rolling up his pants leg, Jango reveals a prosthetic limb that was once his leg. "You remember… happened fifteen years ago… Kamino, when the Jedi were using my blood to create that army of clones…"

Tyranus nods his head, "I remember…" he agrees.

"Then I'm guessing you know what happened next…?" Jango pushes. "Two Jedi ambushed me on my way back to my ship. They tried to kill me—they said I was expendable and my services were no longer needed. And this right here…" he points to his robotic leg, "is what I get at the end of collaborating with Jedi. So why in the hell, do you think that I'll ever talk to one of those laser sword maniacs for as long as I live?" He directs his words coldly towards Tyranus.

The Sith should have known better, he knew Jango despises Jedi even before he almost lost his life on Kamino. That was how their friendship took root, when Tyranus managed to smuggle out a clone child from the Kamina facility and delivered it to Jango to raise as his own son. It was this act of kindness and pure of heart that Tyranus delivered Boba to this broken spirit bounty hunter. It eased his loneliness living out in the desert as well as his suicidal thoughts. From that point on, the two men have had a concrete friendship. "You are right," Tyranus admits feeling guilty. "I am sorry that I accused you of such antics."

The anger in Jango's body deflates as he rolls his pants leg over his limb giving Qymaen time to speak, "so about that Jedi that ambushed you… did you manage to kill him?"

Tyranus shakes his head planting himself in a seat at the table, "no, he… or more accurate… _she_ escaped on my speeder. I checked the hideout… nothing was taken, not even the spare lightsabers," he opens his robes revealing four lightsabers tucked into his inside pocket. "There wasn't a hair out of place… I don't think she discovered the hideaway."

"You can't be certain of that Tyranus," Qymaen replies cautiously. "That Jedi could've been tracking you since you left Mos Eisley."

"Trust me, if she indeed had, I would've sensed her," Tyranus tells him wiping his forehead. Rubbing his eyes, he remembers the whole reason why he left the cantina. "Doctor Vindi…" he mumbles removing his hand from his face.

"Doctor Vindi?" Qymaen recalls, "wasn't that the man who supplied you with that serum that ruined those clone vats on Mustafar?"

Tyranus doesn't reply right away, thinking for a moment he remembers clearly of the news announcing his sudden death. Finally he puts his attention on Qymaen, "that is correct, and I think I know the person who caused his demise..."

* * *

The binary suns in the Tatooine system start to rise heating the desert flats. Travelling across the desert in Jango's hovercraft, the three arrive at the palace of Jabba the Hutt. "I don't know guys…" Jango begins worrisome powering down the hovercraft. "We can't just show up at Jabba's Palace uninvited…" Tyranus and Qymaen climb out the craft followed by Jango. "And what about that Jedi… how are you certain that she plays a part with Jabba?"

"Does he always ask some many damn questions?" Qymaen whispers to Tyranus as the two lead ahead towards the palace's gate.

"He's just afraid Qymaen," Tyranus defends. "Ever since his encounter with the Jedi, it has crippled him emotionally."

"Well he should get over it. I was tortured by the Jedi for hours. One damn near destroyed my face back on Mustafar!" Qymaen points to the partially melted side of his face. "You don't see me acting like some coward."

"Emotional scars take more time to heal than physical ones," Tyranus speaks, "the Jedi took more than just his leg that day… they took away the man he once was."

"…Have you two been listening to anything I've been saying?" Jango speaks cutting into their private conversation. "I think we're making a big mistake coming here Tyranus."

Qymaen rolls his eyes tired of hearing Jango's fright filled opinions. Tyranus smiles sensing Qymaen's spike in anger, "patients, Jango…" the Sith says, "Jabba and I have a history, he wouldn't mind our unexpected arrival."

"What about the bounty hunters?" Jango brings up as the three stop before the enormous gate. "We still don't know if the Jedi put a price on you two heads."

"You really think a bunch of broke back bounty hunters are gonna do anything to us?" Qymaen challenges.

"He's right Jango," Tyranus agrees, "because we have these," he flashes the lightsabers still tucked in his robes. Over Tyranus' shoulder, the palace door's security cams extend out eyeballing the three. "State your name and business for appearing at the All Mighty Jabba the Hutt's doorstep," the camera demands.

"It's me Jabba," Tyranus leans his face into one of the camera's large eye lenses, "I have two other friends of mind with me… I've came to discuss…" Tyranus trails off to think, "the matters of our last partnership." Waiting a moment, the cameras fold back into gate then it rises open. The musky air of the palace interior smacks the three in the face with a strong gust of warm air.

The nervousness hit's Jango's stomach forcing him to swallow. Tyranus sensed his fear though ignores it. The three enter into the palace as the gate comes down behind them sealing them inside with whatever lies ahead.

* * *

Halfway through the darken creepy corridors of Jabba's palace, his gigantic green skinned Gamorrean guards arrive to escort the three to his throne. The guards blind fold the three insuring there won't be any way for them from escaping if this meeting goes south. The Gamorrean guards should know better, blindfolding a Force Weaver only heightens his connection to the Force which is much like a pair of disembodied eyes. While escorting the men, Tyranus can't help but smile as the guards lead the men in a loop around the palace trying to make it seem like their journey is long, when they're going nowhere but a circle.

Finally, after the Gamorreans stop fooling around, they bring the three into Jabba's palace. A cluster of bounty hunters stand on the perimeter of the throne room along with a dozen more Gamorrean guards behind them gripping their oversized meat cleavers. Removing the blindfolds, each of them blink the irritation from their eyes and look up at the large slug creature, Jabba the Hutt. "Your excellency, the All Mighty Jabba has invited you to indulge in his presence," Jabba's protocol droid speaks immediately when the three men are able to see.

Typically lying on his side, Jabba glides his sunken tired eyes across them, his gaze stops upon Jango. His once lazy eyes widen, "so the rumors are true…" Jabba speaks in his native tongue slow and drawn out. "The Jedi didn't kill you after all… though I have to say, Jango, you've seen better days." The bounty hunters sitting around the perimeter snicker at their boss's remark, causing Jango to tense his shoulders in embarrassment. After semi-insulating Jango, Jabba looks to Tyranus standing between the two. "Tyranus… back so soon. I see you've managed to rescue your friend from the Jedi."

"What!?" Qymaen blurbs out aggravating Jabba's guards for speaking out, "how do you know such things? Our names or faces haven't even been plastered on the holonet?"

Jabba laughs at Qymaen's sudden outburst, waving an arm to the Gamorrean guards to ease down. "I know everything, _Qymaen._ The Empire have their resources, and I have mine. I also know that your heads are probably worth a fortune…" The bounty hunters snicker evilly licking their lips, imagining swimming pools of credits for turning them in to the Dark Legion.

"You'll be wasting your time," Jango speaks out. "Believe me. Collaborating with Jedi will be the worst mistake you'll regret for the rest of your life."

"Yeah right," a tan skinned male Twi'lek bounty hunter laughs, "coming from the man who was paid millions of credits and has a whole army that looks like him." The other bounty hunters burst into laughter.

Jango forces his self-confident from sinking, "I'm speaking from the heart," he announces in a stern voice. A voice many haven't heard him speak in years—the way he use to talk. "Turning these two men in to the Jedi will only bring you pain," he speaks to everyone, not just Jabba. "You think that they'll reward you, but they won't. Those millions or credits they flooded into my offshore account was all gone by the time they marked me for death. They casted me aside—they used me for their own agenda." He chocks out a laugh, "now look at me… I'm not even half the man I was years ago…" No one speaks absorbing his words, the bounty hunters look around with awkward stares not getting why Jango took the conversation to a personal level.

"Now I know you three hadn't journeyed all this way for an emotional speech?" Jabba asks unfazed by Jango's story.

"We didn't," Tyranus begins. "I actually came to sort out where your loyalties lay, Jabba."

The Hutt grumbles aggravatingly, "Sith scum! You dare question me of loyalties!? _Me?_ Jabba the Hutt!"

"Indeed I have. You see I've heard the news of Doctor Vindi's death… the same man who so happens to have a mutual collaboration with you and I."

"And you suppose I called a hit on the Faustian doctor?" Jabba presumes dryly.

"I don't suppose, I know," Tyranus replies confidently. "You see Jabba, I know your type. You're a businessman; you'll do anything to cover your tracks to insure that the Empire won't find a trace that leads back to your clandestine operations. Which is why you order one of your men to kill Vindi so he wouldn't be questioned. And the reason why you told that Jedi assassin where to ambush me."

Jabba lets out a confusing grunt, "me? Tipping off a Jedi to kill you?" He laughs, "I didn't even know you were on Tatooine until a few moments ago. So tell me Sith, how could I have sent a Jedi to kill you and what would I gain from it all?" Dwelling on that thought, Tyranus' mind wonders, "you were right about one thing, Sith. I did have Doctor Vindi killed because the Dark Legion Empire traced his poison back to him. I did it to save both of us Tyranus. And yes, you were also correct about a Jedi on Tatooine, who so happened to have visited my palace not too long ago, but it had nothing to do with neither you nor your friends."

"Was the Jedi a woman by any chance?" Tyranus questions suspicions.

"Does it matter?" Jabba replies. "A Jedi's a Jedi, they kill regardless of sex. Maybe you should stop questioning me and start looking at the bigger picture. After pulling that daring prison break on Courscant, then maybe somehow the Jedi did in fact find a way to trace you back here. They have spies all over the galaxy in places you wouldn't think twice about."

"He is right you know," Jango agrees. "Instead of blaming your friends and everyone you seen in the past few hours, start looking back at the Jedi. That prison break was the first of its kind. The Jedi aren't just gonna sit there like nothing happened. You rattled their cages and they're pissed off."

"Listen to Jango Fett," Jabba speaks. "He has a point, you had your suspicions, I know. In my many years of 'business,' it has always accrued to me that the simplest answer is always right in front of you; you just have to bypass all the other false options." Jabba's somewhat philologically statement reminds Tyranus of those old saying Master Yoda used to say back when he was a Youngling. It surprised him coming from someone of Jabba's likes. Then again, Jabba is a businessman and deals with such predicaments all the time. "Now, since you three have nothing else to speak of, leave my palace. And don't come back unless you have something that truly peaks my interest."

With a wave of his arm, three guards move in and take the men by the arms preparing to blindfold them. Jabba halts them sticking his arm out. Zeroing his gaze on Tyranus he says, "and don't you ever question me of loyalties, Sith! Or next time, I'll feed you to my rancor!" As on cue, the rancor below their feet lets out a roar hungry for meat. Ending with that threating remark, the Gamorrean guards blindfold the men and escort them out the throne room.


	10. Glimmer of the Light

**_Part I_**

* * *

_Chapter IX_

**Glimmer of the Light**

* * *

The invasion of Mandalore is in full swing. On board the Star Destroyer in high orbit over Coruscant, Obi-Wan, Qui-Gon and Windu arrive meeting one of three of their clone battalions consisting of 250 breeders each. In the bridge, the three Jedi are greeted by a holographic transmission of Emperor Organa. "Gentlemen, the time has come," the Emperor speaks. "In the following hours, the invasion of Mandalore will be in effect and yet another planet will face the wrath of our Empire."

"Right you are Organa," Qui-Gon speaks. "Mandalore will be yet another notch in our record book of flawless takeovers."

"Don't speak ahead of yourself, Jinn," Windu says in a warning tone. "Mandalorians aren't the ones to surrender willingly. They'll die before knelling."

Qui-Gon cracks a flat smirk, "then I can't wait to make them suffer…" Master Windu as well as Obi-Wan glance at Qui-Gon shuddering at his remarks. Master Qui-Gon is known for being radical on the battlefield. So radical in fact that even the Jedi find his methods… questionable. "I'll order the Admiral to prep the ship for light speed," Qui-Gon departs from the hologram leaving Obi-Wan and Windu to wrap up this brief meeting.

"We are off my Excellency, we'll contact you once Mandalore is claimed," Windu says.

"Very well Master Jedi, may you be victorious," Organa concludes the transmission. Master Windu moves away from the hologram table and to the bridge's window overlooking the surface of Courscant. Obi-Wan wonders over to his side, before he could even utter a word, Windu speaks, "I sense great indifference in you, Kenobi." He doesn't look at Obi-Wan as he speaks to him. "Is it that you fear your diplomatic solution will fail in persuading the Mandalorians to drop their arms and submit?"

In a way, Windu's insight was right on the money. Obi-Wan already knows that he might be wasting his time in discussing terms of surrender with Mandalore, though something else sits heavy on the Jedi's mind. "It's not that master," he insures loosely, "I'm just weary on if bringing Qui-Gon was a good idea…"

Finally, Windu faces Obi-Wan holding a robotic face, "he was once your master yes? Why do you ask such a thing?"

"Well yes, he was…" Obi-Wan admits. "But that was years ago—he was a different man and—"

"We were all _different _at one point, Obi-Wan," Windu speaks in a baritone voice. "I understand where you are coming from though. Master Jinn has made a more dynamic change than most Jedi at the temple." He glance from under his hood at the Jedi talking with the Admiral directing Obi-Wan's gaze over to him as well. "His methods are ruthless, but necessary."

"You mean the time he tried to kill you and Lord Yoda as well as the Emperor?" Obi-Wan questions sarcastically, "you categorize that as _necessary?"_

Windu shoots Obi-Wan a stinging glare, "you just worry about your little meeting with whomever your risking your neck over on Mandalore. Because when you fail—and you will, Qui-Gon and I are going to insure this planet won't even have enough strength to even lift a finger at our Empire ever again, is that understood?"

Obi-Wan buries his anger and replies with, "yes master, I understand fully."

Windu leaves the Jedi's company starting out the bridge. "Set a course for Mandalore men!" The Admiral's voice booms with authority filling the entire bridge. "Our allied forces are expecting our arrival." The ships hyper-drive amps up vibrating the entire cruiser. Flashing a deep purple, the engines at the end of this massive triangular craft thrust out propelling the ship through an artificially made wormhole and into hyperspace.

Emerging from the wormhole, the Dark Legion Star Destroyer joins two other Star Destroyers apart of their fleet, as well as the Nabooian Planet Destroyer and the Alderaanian Warrior Brigade Battleships. The Alderaanian warships are all black and rouged in design. They are much smaller than a standard Star Destroyer but carry a much larger and devastating arsenal that can destroy an entire moon. The Nabooian Royal Naval Fleet consists of one massive battleship that has a cylindrical shape and is as long as an average Star Destroyer. On its flanks are five frigates and two supply ships.

The cruiser the three Jedi Masters are posted on takes its position joining the coalition. "Welcome to the battlefront, generals," the other Star Destroyer Admiral addresses via radio transmission. "All fleets are on standby, awaiting your orders to commence invasion."

All heads turn to the three Jedi looking out the window at the surface of Mandalore. Windu and Qui-Gon's attention is to Obi-Wan, since his move is first before they transform Mandalore into a full out battle. "Well, Obi-Wan," Qui-Gon starts in his silence, "are you going to continue to waste time by standing here, or are you taking your journey to see these barbarians?"

Obi-Wan doesn't take his master's words lightly, he keeps his anger from showing, knowing that Qui-Gon will try taking advantage of it. "I will go to them now," he turns to the bridge, "prepare a transport."

"I believe there is one awaiting your arrival in the hanger bay my Lord," the Admiral address. "They were most eager to escort you to your meeting personally. The Emperor appointed them himself."

"As well as I," Qui-Gon adds in gaining Obi-Wan's attention. "Come, my former apprentice," he lightly presses a hand on Obi-Wan's shoulder, "I'll escort you there myself."

The two Jedi start out the bridge, Windu has his eyes glued on Qui-Gon's back, he wonder who Qui-Gon has brought for this mission and why.

* * *

Starting down the cruiser's corridor, Qui-Gon doesn't say a word to Obi-Wan. The hall is silence except for a few mouse droids and R2 units moving about. "Master…" Obi-Wan finally speaks canceling the awkwardness. "Why did you and the Emperor provided me with a personal ride down to Mandalore?"

Qui-Gon smiles sensing the anxiety raging off Obi-Wan, "you will find out in a moment Obi-Wan," he keeps his answer a mystery. "These individuals and I have collaborated at one point during my time in exile…" Obi-Wan looks to the Master Jedi with a confuse glare, he can't image what caliber these people may possess to acquire a partnership with a Jedi—Master Qui-Gon Jinn at that matter.

The doors to the hanger hiss open, occupying the large carrier space is one ship. Rouged with a camouflage paintjob and larger than a standard Dark Legion transporter, Obi-Wan has never laid eyes on such a craft. The drop ramp is extended down with a man on a ladder doing last minute welding on a section above where the drop ramp folds into. Approaching from behind, Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan stand watching the Human man as he continues to weld. "I thought they were ready to go…?" Obi-Wan asks Qui-Gon.

"This is typical behavior of them," Qui-Gon replies. "Thank the Force they aren't drunk… yet."

Out of nowhere, a clone maintenance worker rushes over to the ship, "aye, you can't do that!" He barks pointing to the Human as he continues to weld not paying any attention to him. "You hear me? You can't weld in the hanger bay—it's against general management!"

"Yea?" The Human lowers his welding rod. Facing the clone, he snatches the goggles off his greasy face, "screw your _general management _clone! I'ma real person, not some gummed up mind guttering imbecile like you! Now piss off before I really get mad." The Human puts his goggles back on and goes back to welding.

The clone grits his teeth at the Human's offensive remark, looking over his shoulder the clone sees the two Jedi standing like two phantoms, due by the hooded robes obscuring the lining of their bodies. "Oh, thank goodness you two are here!" The clone sighs happily, "can you tell this… moron to stop doing what he's doing before he lights this entire place on fire!"

Qui-Gon totally ignores the clone's ranting keeping his eyes on the Human. Obi-Wan follows what he does ignoring the clone. The clone swallows before speaking, "uh… sorry my Lords, for addressing you in such a matter." He says in a low voice.

Walking close to the Human's ship, Qui-Gon uses the Force lightly pushing the clone back, "leave my sight breeder, I can't stand staring at the likes of you." Qui-Gon speaks callously without looking in the clone's direction.

"As you wish my Lord," the clone acknowledges feeling worthless. He turns on his heels and walks away. Obi-Wan watches the clone straddle away then sets his attention on the ship that he'll be taking to Mandalore. Though he isn't entirely sure of its crew or the ship at that matter.

In the corner of his eye, the welding Human sighs deeply seeing two more people standing behind him. Powering off his welding instrument, he descends the ladder. "Alright… alright! I'll stop—" He pauses in midsentence when his eyes land on the two Jedi looking back at him. "Jedi…?" He breaths in surprise wiping his grease covered hands on his vest. The Human is average build and height, olive colored skin covered in smidges of oil and grease. His hair in a short spiked Mohawk leaving the sides of his head shaved besides a tattoo depicting two dragons on both sides of his head. He removes the goggles squinting his green eyes on the Jedi. "Qui-Gon you old crazy bastard!" He complements approaching the Jedi. Qui-Gon chuckles shaking the Human's hand, "what brings you down here mate? Want another demonstration of the ol' girl here?" He gestures to the ship behind him.

"Maybe another time, Dengar," Qui-Gon glances behind him at Obi-Wan. "Though I believe my former apprentice would enjoy it." He steps aside allowing the Human to get a look at Obi-Wan. "This is Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi; Obi-Wan, this is Dengar, a good friend of mine."

Obi-Wan draws his hood back staring deeply into Dengar's greasy face. "So this is the infamous Obi-Wan Kenobi…" Dengar praises scornfully. "I've heard plenty of things about you from every corner of the galaxy. Hard to believe people are shaken by the sight of you…" He scans Obi-Wan from head to toe tauntingly.

"Take care of what you say," Obi-Wan warns. "Looks can be very deceiving."

The two become in a deadlock stare when Dengar bursts into laughter out of nowhere, "I like him already," he chuckles glancing at Qui-Gon. "He definitely has that certain charisma in his eye… much like any Jedi." Obi-Wan eases down sensing neutral feelings from Dengar, "well why the hell are we still hangin' out here? Com-on up Jedi, meet the crew!" Dengar walks up the ramp entering his ship. Obi-Wan follows behind while Qui-Gon stands looking in from the outside.

Entering the craft, Obi-Wan finds it more narrow than how it looks on the outside. The craft was at one point a troop carrier, since the fuselage is elongated and still has some of the seats of which the troops sat in. The rest of the craft looks to have been customized. Hundreds of wires run across the inside walls flowing into the ceiling of the craft into one power source hidden from sight. "Is this ship spacefaring?" Obi-Wan asks nervously as he follows behind Dengar.

"Of course it is Jedi," Dengar replies. "What, you don't like what I did with the old girl? She was once a Republic troop carrier, found it floating out in the middle of space damaged like hell." He leads the Jedi to the cramp cockpit. Sitting at the control panel is a large humanoid reptile going about the controls, "aye Bossk, the Jedi's here." Turning around, the reptilian gives Obi-Wan a brief glimpse before turning back to the controls. "Yeah, not much of talker…" Dengar says to Obi-Wan. "But he'll grow on ya later, I'm sure."

He slaps Obi-Wan on the shoulder moving over to the passenger seat tinkering around with a few of the controls. "What are you doing!?" Bossk finally speaks in a hissing voice. "I had everything prepped and ready!"

"Relax lizard man," Dengar replies laidback. "I'm just gonna show the Jedi here the little 'toy' we outfitted our ship with."

Bossk turns his head to him, "think that's a good idea?" He asks in a whisper, but Obi-Wan heard him loud and clear. "He's a Jedi…"

"No really? I didn't know that," Dengar replies sarcastically. Ignoring Bossk's complaining, Dengar hits a button making the lighting in the craft plunge into a deep violet. A machine activates in the background humming lightly.

Immediately, Obi-Wan's muscles begin to feel like weights and his body deflates with energy. "What is going on?" He asks in a slurred voice.

Dengar snickers at the Jedi, "you feel that? Feels like you haven't slept in days right?" Obi-Wan feels his legs weakening and grabs on to a piece of machinery. "You Jedi aren't the only ones with fancy tricks up your sleeves. You see what you're experiencing right about now is how us 'normal' people live day in and day out…"

"What did you do to me…?" Obi-Wan slurs stumbling back against the cockpit wall. Dengar jumps up from his seat and helps Obi-Wan stand up. He guides the drowsy Jedi to a small seat located directly behind the cockpit. "There ya are," Dengar sits him down and backs away. He leans against the wall folding his arms, "comfy?"

Dengar's words become mushy to Obi-Wan's ears. His entire focus strained with clouded thoughts. "What… I can't…" He squints his eyes trying to center his vision, but everything is spinning around his head.

"Don't hurt yourself Jedi," Dengar jokes. "You're more of a slop than I thought." He rubs his chin glancing away from Obi-Wan, he nods to Bossk to hit the button. The reptilian does so, the lights changes back to normality and so does Obi-Wan's strength. Dengar returns to the Jedi, "better now?"

Obi-Wan narrows his eyes in anger, "you have less than ten seconds to explain what just happened to me."

Sensing the Jedi's spike in anger, Dengar laughs backing away slightly. "You're mad, with good reason, but you ain't gonna threaten me on _my_ ship Jedi. I can easily flip that switch and you'll be nothing but a drooling meat puppet."

Suddenly, the wind in Dengar's lungs is cut off by an invisible force gripping at his neck. "Do that, and it'll be the last thing you ever do." Obi-Wan warns clenching his fist tight around the Human's neck. Bossk gets up from his seat reaching for a blaster holstered at his side.

"Release him," Qui-Gon's voice erupts as the Jedi Master steps foot into the craft. "I said release him Obi-Wan." Doing so, the Jedi take his Force grip off Dengar's neck enabling him to breathe again. "As you experienced Obi-Wan, even the Force has its limitations."

"What do you mean by that, Qui-Gon?" Obi-Wan asks.

"This ship," Qui-Gon begins darting his eyes to the ceiling of the craft, "is outfitted with a unique energy field, in which can sever any Jedi's connection to the Force… temporarily of course."

Obi-Wan is speechless, though he has a familiar sense that he's heard of something like this floating around the galaxy. "That's impossible, the Force surrounds us, it binds us…"

"You're right," Dengar agrees rubbing his sore neck, "but you've just found yourself on the only spec in the galaxy in which your precious Force is terminated. Which is why I saw fit to call my ship _Negative Force." _Obi-Wan cuts his eyes to him, "catchy, isn't it?" Dengar smirks.

"Very suitable indeed, Dengar…" Qui-Gon chimes folding his arms within his robes. "Well that's enough of the demonstration wouldn't you say? Wouldn't want to keep the people of Mandalore waiting too long for your arrival." Qui-Gon raises his eyebrows form under his darken hood at Obi-Wan before turning for the exit ramp leaving the ship.

Upon stepping off, the drop ramp to Dengar's ship contracts. Bossk initiates last minute takeoff protocols before igniting the four quad engines enabling the craft to hover off the hanger floor. Position the transport for takeoff, the two engines located in the back of the craft pushes forward leaving the hanger bay. Standing just below the ship, the warm blast of air ripples Qui-Gon's robes. He turns his head keeping his eyes on the craft until it breaks the laser field casting out into space.

* * *

The people of Mandalore are on high alert, the entire planet is bracing for the first wave of troops to touch land. Already they have taken precautions in evacuating their citizens to underground shelters for they already know the Dark Legion Empire will bombed their planet until it looks like a lifeless moon before any of their forces invade. From the surface of their planet, in the night sky, the Mandalorian rebels can see countless lights among the stars. Large lights creeping slowly in their orbit, "warships…" A bald, pale skinned Mandalorian heaves looking up at the crafts stretching his neck out a window. "At least three to five fleets maximum."

"The Intel was right then," a female Mandalorian replies standing nearby. Her short orange hair blows gently in the crisp night breeze. "Which means we need to evacuate the remainders from the palace before the bombing begins."

Turning to her, the man nods in agreement. Both are dressed in their traditional Mandalorian armed suit that closely resembles the clone troopers, but is outfitted in such a way that it surpasses effortlessly. Walking down the darken deserted palace corridor, the two enter the throne room, where a few other Mandalorians remain talking lowly amongst one another. It isn't until the two Mandalorian soldiers enter in grabbing their attention. One woman stands out before all others, her face plain as paper though somehow manages to bring light in this gloomy state. A beige dress trimmed with gold lining surrounds her body skirting the floor. A silver hairpiece wraps perfectly around her head reflecting the little light emitting from the floodlights outside the palace.

The rest of the Royal officials step aside allowing the two Mandalorian soldiers to stands before the woman, "My Lady," the male soldier starts. "It is at best interest that I suggest you and your staff evacuate the palace immediately. The Empire are in our orbit as we speak and could attack any minute."

"They won't attack," the woman replies calmly. "They are sending a negotiator in hopes of rendering our world."

"By all means, Satine," the orange hair woman begins, "you know negotiating with the Dark Legion is suicide. It's probably a trap to capture you!"

Satine cracks a nervous smile looking down to the marble floor, "maybe so… but if they do, then I'll endure whatever punishment they may inflict on me, for the people of Mandalore, for us."

"You can't be serious My Lady," the male solider presses. "The Empire—the Jedi will torture you just for the pleasure. And then they'll just kill you." The remainders of the royal dignitaries cringe at the soldiers words. Could the Jedi be that cruel? They heard the stories echoing across the galaxy about how ruthless they can be, never did they think that they'll be facing their wrath any minute.

"I do not fear the Jedi, Commander Vizsla," Satine directs her words to the male Mandalorian. "I believe that there is still good in them, a good I hope to bring out. There is hope that they will spare our world."

The orange hair woman shakes her head doubtfully, "what you see in them… is something I'll never understand."

Entering in on their conversation, a royal guard announces loudly, "My Lady, the Dark Legion advocates have arrived." Outside the palace, the loud thrust of a transport ship touching down flares in the throne room. A wave of nervousness comes over Satine causing her to take a breath.

Seeing the distress on her face, Vizsla places his hand on her shoulder, "you don't have to do this, My Lady. We can take you to our base, you'll be safe there. My troops and I will protect you with our lives—you have my word."

The rest of the royals look to the Duchess praying in their minds that she'll take the commander's offer. Neither of them wanted to stay around and wait for the Jedi representative to arrive. Refusing, the Duchess takes Vizsla's hand off her shoulder shaking her head, "you must leave now commander, or risk losing your element of surprise if this all goes bad."

Nodding briskly, Vizsla places his trademark Mandalorian helmet on his head. He turns to his second command, "we have to go."

The orange haired woman stares at Satine with dismay in her eyes. "Listen to your commander Bo-Kata," Satine tells her forcing a line of a smile across her face. "Go."

Giving Satine one last look, Bo-Kata puts her helmet on, she then looks to Vizsla giving him a nod. The two turn heading for the exit to the throne room. The royal guards as well as the delegates remain to meet the Jedi.

* * *

Powering down _Negative Force, _Obi-Wan waits for Dengar or Bossk to drop the ramp, "alright Jedi," Dengar starts turning his neck to Obi-Wan sitting behind, "you have twenty minutes to do whatever you have to do."

Rising up from his seat, Obi-Wan starts down the narrow walkway of the transport waiting silently for the ramp to be extended out. Taking his quite action as a go, Bossk hits the button dropping the ramp onto the surface of Mandalore. Before stepping off, Obi-Wan drapes the hood over his head then walks off. Touching ground, Obi-Wan glances around seeing a few Mandaloirian rebel fighters in the distance looking over at him. They hold their ground whispering to one another trying to figure out who this lone robbed man is. Turning his gaze away, Obi-Wan makes his move from the plaza to the palace steps.

His ghostly silhouette ascending the steps startles the two royal guards posted out front. One of them staggers through the massive doors leading right to the throne room. The other guard's anxiety is raging the closer Obi-Wan comes. Finally, the Jedi reaches the top of the stairs. The guard, trembling with fear prompts himself in front of the door. He sticks his hand when he takes it back noticing it shaking uncontrollably. "T-the Duchess isn't quite ready for you J-J-Jedi… she will summon you when—"

Obi-Wan continues his way lifting the guard off his feet with the Force by the neck. With his other hand, he pushes the massive doors open using the Force. Without even trying, all eyes land on the Jedi as he barges his way into the palace. A few royals stumble back at the sight of the guard being manhandled by some telepathic means. "Duchess Satine…" Obi-Wan starts in a calm dry matter despite the dark moment he's just set in motion, "you had more than enough time to prepare for our meeting." He loosens his Force grip on the guard's neck allowing him to fall to the floor hyperventilating. He approaches Satine throwing back his hood, his yellow eyes pierce through the greyness of the room. "Now you have less than twenty minutes to convince me of why I should spare the lives of your people."

Satine's eyes flare upon the sight of Obi-Wan. She knew the Empire were sending a Jedi, but out of all the evil twist Jedi, they send the one she knows on a personal level. Before he became a slave to Lord Yoda. The other royals stand off to the side as the Jedi stands a mere distance from her. The other guard backs away to the wall keeping his eye on Obi-Wan. "It's good to see you again, Obi-Wan," she says flatly.

"The forces of the Dark Legion Empire want to see this planet completely turned over, Duchess," Obi-Wan replies immediately after in a cold tone. "So you can save your breath on the reunion openings."

Satine is taken back by Obi-Wan's emotionless response. This is defiantly not the man she once knew. "Alright then," she sighs solemnly walking back to her throne chair. Obi-Wan steps closer standing before her as she seats herself lightly. "So, Master Jedi," she begins placing her arms on the armrests, "I didn't think you Dark Legions were one's to negotiate?"

"Well we didn't perceive that you will have three of our representatives executed and have their remains shipped to our doorstep," Obi-Wan replies sarcastically glancing at the remaining royals off to the side.

"That wasn't of my bidding," Satine replies. "Moments before my meeting with your representatives, one of the _Stormtroopers_ you call them, shot and killed one of my guards for a reason unknown." Obi-Wan remains fixed as a statue keeping his attention glued to Satine's face. "Another faction, the _Mandalorian Guild _took actions in their own hands and attacked the troopers and as a tragic end result…" she pauses clearing her throat, "beheaded the representatives."

"And you, being the Duchess of Mandalore, couldn't prevent such an event from taking place from the start?" Obi-Wan questions instinctively stroking his beard,"kind of odd from my point of view…"

"I couldn't stop it because it happened in an instant, Obi-Wan," Satine sets straight before the Jedi starts jumping to conclusions. "The Mandalorian Guild are ruthless, they're warlike. Their sole purpose is to guaranty the safety of our world."

"They did a fine job with that, I'll say," Obi-Wan counters. "Now the fate of millions lie within your hands, Satine. As they always have." Obi-Wan chirps a laugh rubbing his lower lip with his finger. "It seems my former master was correct about you independent worlds… we grant you too many liberties and freedoms on which you exploit to plot against us!"

Satine's heart leaps in her chest, never has she seen Obi-Wan so cold. Quickly, she buries her emotions and maintains her thoughts on her people. "Now you must understand," she starts finding her voice raspy. She swallows a lump in her throat before continuing, "what happened to those representatives was an incident that shouldn't had ever occurred… we—"

"An incident you could've prevented if you did your job," Obi-Wan accuses with a point. "Now there are more than enough cruises and battleships orbiting your world with enough ordinate to kill even the smallest rodents hiding in the tightest cracks. All because of your failure, your lack of leadership."

"It wasn't my fault!" Satine exclaims with a voice heavy in authority. "And how dare you… a man—a Jedi who instills fear in others to maintain a corrupt empire condemn _me_ of my leadership!?" Her sneering words echo sharply off the smooth plastered walls. "You betrayed everything you once stood for. You and all the other Jedi and that nefarious structure you call a _temple!"_

Obi-Wan cuts off his emotions staring blankly in the Duchess's anger filled red face. "Ok, show me then," he says almost challengingly.

"Show you what?" She asks sourly.

"Show me that you can save the lives of millions, by turning in the members of this Mandalorian Guild." Satine's blood runs cold. Obi-Wan instantly senses her anxiety, he chuckles under his breath. "I should have guessed, you aren't going to betray your 'people' right?"

Satine doesn't reply, she glances over to the remainders of her staff holding tense face. "Leave us," she instructs. The staffs' tense faces transform into confusion. "All of you, leave me and the Jedi to continue this discussion in private."

The guard posted on the wall beside Satine's throne speaks up, "Madam… with all due respect…"

"I won't repeat myself," Satine declares turning her head slightly in the guard's direction. With no further words, the guard as well as the royal staff shuffle out the throne room leaving the Jedi and the Duchess completely alone with each other.

As the last person leaves the throne all together Obi-Wan speaks, "I see you've grown tired off the ridiculing eyes and ears in one place…?"

"It seems I have," she replies with a sigh standing out of her throne. "And you were right, I won't give away the whereabouts of the Mandalorian Guild," she begins descending the short marble steps. "I stand firmly with my people, even if it means the death of us. Because you and I both know that the Empire will invade regardless." She stands a short distance from the Jedi looking him straight in the eye. "Which makes me wonder Obi-Wan, why did you come to me in the first place?"

"I came on a diplomatic mission to spare your people from the Dark Legion Empire," Obi-Wan replies robotically.

"Really?" Satine says suspiciously. "I think there was another reason, closer to heart…"

Obi-Wan shakes his head turning his body sideways to her, "if you think I came because of you…"

"That's not what I think at all," Satine counters quickly. Obi-Wan shifts his eyes to her trying his best to keep a fossil face. "You came here, because you know… deep down in your heart that what you are doing is wrong." He takes his gaze form her all together walking towards one of the large oval shaped windows. He looks out onto the night sky seeing his reflection in the glass. His yellow eyes plagued with the Dark Side alarms him. It's been so long, he has forgotten what color his eyes were before converting to this twisted way of life. "I saw it written across your face the instant you removed your hood," Satine continues. "You want to do good—you don't want the Empire to invade…"

"I have no choice, Satine," Obi-Wan gravels through his teeth. "It's just the way of the Force."

"You're wrong," she denounces. "I may not have plentiful knowledge of the Force as you do, but I know enough that this wasn't the intended path you're supposed to be on. You remember just as I do… the Jedi Order was nothing like this in the past in the days of the Republic."

"You're right," Obi-Wan replies surprising her. He turns away from the window locking his gaze on her. "We were weaker," the excitement in Satine's body deflates at his remark. "The Sith knew that and seek to destroy us. If it weren't for my master, Lord Yoda, I as well as every Jedi in the galaxy would be dead right now!" Satine shakes her head fighting the tears from surfacing. "I owe Lord Yoda my life, my service at his side and my loyalties! That's why I can't betray the Order!"

Satine slides her way to Obi-Wan placing her hand on his cheek. The coolness from her palm puts the Jedi at ease stalling his anger. "Look at you, look how far you have fallen," the soft tone of her voice sends tingling chills down Obi-Wan's body. His eyes become glued to hers, "you're a good man Obi-Wan, you still are. But you must not allow this hatred to forge your mind."

Closing his eyes, Obi-Wan allows his body to fall numb. He places his hand on top hers pressing it harder into his cheek. "I'm afraid, that it's too late for that," he opens his tear filled eyes. A tear escapes Satine's eye as the Jedi removes her hand from his cheek. Turing away, he stumbles for the doors scratching his heavy eyes. Pausing in step, he reaches behind his head grapping the fabric of his hood. Without using the Force, he can feel Satine's eyes glued on him. "I am so sorry, Satine…"

She wipes her face, "so am I," she mutters lowly. The Jedi draws his hood over his head and starts out the palace.

* * *

Staring out the window from his office in the Convocation Center on Courscant, the Emperor gazes upon the city planet. His anxiety running high awaiting word from Master Windu that the invasion of Mandalore has occurred. His office empty besides himself, the Senate guards stand out front of his doorway. He is still upset about his two clone Jedi guards, of which Master Qui-Gon decapitated. Still, Lord Yoda promised to have them replaced in the future.

Beeping loudly taking the silence form his office, the Emperor rushes over to his desk hitting the button to his hologram. An image of a blue skinned humanoid man with horns takes form, killing the Emperor's whaling energy. "My Lord, the CIS Viceroy has arrived to see you personally."

The Emperor gives him a confused face, "I didn't authorize this meeting."

Suddenly, the doors to Emperor Organa's office bust open and a big headed, bug eyed man dressed in a black gown complete with a rectangular headpiece enters in with a fierce look on his face. "You have no right!" He spits charging his way towards Organa. "You have no right invading an independent world Emperor!" The Senate guards tug and pull at the man's robes but he violently pulls his robes out their grasps. Organa waves them away allowing the angered Viceroy to continue.

"I knew sooner or later you independent advocates would come whining at my doorstep," Organa snickers turning back to his desk.

"You have your forces prepared to stage an assault on an independent world," the Viceroy replies bitterly standing before the Emperor's desk. "Worst of all, you kept this claim from the Imperial Senate."

"I can assure you Viceroy," Organa folds his hands on his desk. "The Imperial Senate isn't completely blind of my judgment."

The Viceroy inches closer to Organa's desk, "yet you still invade an independent world, which is a complete violation of the Trade Federation's Independent Clause—a clause, _you_ yourself appointed with both our signatures on the document!"

"My memory isn't dull, Viceroy," Organa scratches his ear. "And if you care to listen to what I have to say, maybe it'll change your mind on why I am invading a planet of your jurisdiction."

"Then enlighten me Emperor," the Viceroy jeers coldly.

Before Organa could explain his reasoning, the hologram on his desk lights up with an image of Jedi Master Windu and Kenobi. "Your Excellency," Windu begins. "Everything is running according to plan as you perceived."

Organa glimpse up at the Viceroy standing out of image of the hologram, "so I take it that your diplomatic reasoning has failed, Kenobi?"

Obi-Wan lowers his gaze, "yes your Excellence," he replies drearily. "The Mandalorians are not going to step down. We… we have no choice but to invade."

The Viceroy's mouth falls open in shock. Organa smiles devilishly at the look on his face, "invasion was the only choice Master Jedi. Alright, carry on as planned, contact me once the planet has fallen and remember, I want the Duchess alive along with any other high value individuals of their government. The rest of the peasant can burn…" The Viceroy shivers at the Emperor's nonchalant tone in the matter.

"As you wish, your Excellently," Master Windu and Obi-Wan bow their heads ending transmission.

The Viceroy shakes his head at the Emperor, "you're a monster…" he quivers.

Organa laughs, "if you think I'm sadistic, Viceroy… you haven't seen what the Jedi are capable of…" The Viceroy shudders backing away slightly, "now leave my sight, you worm!" Dampened by the Emperor's cold remark, the Viceroy turns heading for the doorway. "And Gunray…" Organa calls after him. "You barge into my office again spitting venom… and I'll kill you myself, Understand?" Gunray takes the Emperor's threat lightly as he continues on his way out his office.

* * *

Watching the Neimoidian Viceroy leave his office, Organa waits a moment before activating his hologram again. On the holoprojector, an image of two men in a seated position takes form. One with a spiked Mohawk and the other a reptilian. "Emperor Organa," Dengar speaks surprise. "You came through faster than I expected…"

"I just wanted to remind you of our deal," Organa speaks.

Dengar laughs, "still want me to do your little dirty work aye Emperor?"

"I decided to double your pay… ten million each for the Jedi's head."

Dengar's smile wipes away and turns into shock. He looks to Bossk who doesn't look all that surprise. "We're still talking about just one Jedi, right?" Dengar double checks.

"I want his head personally delivered to me," Organa tells him. "Then, you and your friend will get your reward."

Nodding his head like a bobble head, Dengar grows a smirk across his face. "Alright Organa, you'll have your Jedi's head. I'll send it on a silver platter!"

Organa smiles, "Good Dengar, very good…"

* * *

**Changed a few character looks (Dengar) as well as fraction names (Death Watch = Mandalorian Guild)**


	11. Hidden agenda

**_Part I_**

* * *

_Chapter X_

**Hidden agenda**

* * *

Neither Anakin nor Ahsoka have been to Tatooine. They've heard the stories about this planet, desolate, full of outlaws and scum from every corner of the galaxy and is home to the infamous Jabba the Hutt. Even so, Anakin has heard that this is the world of which he harbors from. When then, Jedi Force Weaver Tyranus and his Padawan, Qui-Gon discovered him. Anakin himself doesn't remember that encounter, for he was only an infant. At that time, Anakin had become the youngest Force sensitive individual to be brought to the temple. It was a strange time, when the Jedi were still at war with the Sith. A former Force Weaver and Jedi named Darth Maul had turned against the Order, joining league with a Master Sith Lord, Darth Sidious. To this day, neither of the Jedi—including the Lord of Darkness himself know for sure if Darth Maul or Sidious are truly dead. With the resurface of Tyranus, they can infer that the Order of the Sith is still burning strong.

Landing on Tatooine in a two-seater Star Fighter, Anakin and Ahsoka disembark from their craft stepping onto the sandy surface of Tatooine. The desert is cool due to the night, the cover of darkness will be their ally in investigating Tyranus' whereabouts. However, the two Jedi are ignorant to the true identity of the man they seek. Obi-Wan misinformed Anakin by telling him that they are tracking a high value fugitive that escaped the Triple Max Facility on Courscant. In the back of Anakin's mind, he has his doubts that Obi-Wan was telling half-truth, in which his gut feeling will be correct.

"Well, it's sandier than I thought," Ahsoka says kicking a small mound of sand at her feet. "I wonder why this guy traveled to this planet anyway?"

"You can ask him that yourself, once we catch him," Anakin replies removing his hood. In the distant, the two can see the lights glowing on the horizon from Mos Eisley. At that moment, Anakin is flushed with a strange dreadful feeling. He can't place his finger on it, but the feeling swells in his stomach.

Sensing her master's discomfort, Ahsoka questions him, "are you alright?"

Nodding his head, Anakin draws his hood over his face. "Artoo, stay with the ship," he orders the blue and white colored astromech situated in the wing of the fighter. "Any trouble comes up, contact me immediately." The little mech beeps in reply watching the two Jedi trek the short distant across the desert to the spaceport settlement.

* * *

Little attention is brought to the two hooded Jedi as they walk the dirt roads of Mos Eisley. It is packed with people, droids and patrolling Stormtroopers. More so than before, the clone trooper count seems to have increased since the breakout on Courscant. They also may have knowledge of the prisoner hiding on this world. "So where do we start?" Ahsoka asks Anakin as the two walk down the main road of the settlement. "There's so many people… anyone of them can be our guy."

Anakin nods his head slightly in agreement. Eyeing every face in range, the Jedi's mind wonders. With the Force in his body still being suppressed by that strange feeling of uneasiness, it'll be hard for him to Force read any of them. His mind isn't in the right place and so his Force fluctuates wildly within him.

"We don't even know what this person even looks like," Ahsoka continues. "It would've really helped if Master Kenobi showed us a picture at least!"

"Patients, my apprentice," Anakin speaks in a monotone. "The Force will tell us who we are looking for." At that moment, Anakin remembers what Obi-Wan told him just before he left for his mission to Mandalore… _This fugitive of the Empire is dangerous, I don't expect your apprentice to return…"_ Coming from the mouth of a Jedi Master, Anakin can only image who this person may be. Instantly, the image of a Sith pops into mind. The Sith he had saw on the security hologram in the Council. "It makes sense…!" He muses out loud stopping in his tracks.

"What does?" Ahsoka asks.

"Obi-Wan was too afraid to admit it… they have us going after a Sith—the same Sith who escaped that prison!"

Ahsoka gives him a skeptical look, "you really think they'll send _us_ to capture a Sith?"

"Yes, I do," Anakin replies confidently. Noticing that they're talking in the middle of the road, Anakin draws his apprentice off to the side away from anyone close by. "Don't you get it?" He leans his head down close to her face speaking in a low intense voice, "this is a sign… a sign that the Jedi have fear—that Lord Yoda has fear!" Ahsoka's face falls into shock, realizing where Anakin is going with this. "Why else would they send us to get him? Why not Master Tiin, or Plo Koon or any of the Council members?" A smile sketches across Anakin's face. "Because they're afraid, afraid of confronting this Sith—and if they have fear… then they have a weakness!"

"Master, please don't tell me what I think you are saying…?" Ahsoka dreads.

Anakin grips her shoulders tightly, "we can do it Ashoka, we can defeat Lord Yoda… we—_I _can beat him! And then… the Jedi Order will be in my hands!" For a moment, Ahsoka's heart was beating with excitement. Overthrow the Jedi… kill Yoda and take his title as Lord of Darkness and Master of the Jedi Order…? It seems farfetched especially for someone her age. Yoda has centuries of experience and has trained all the Jedi in the temple at one point. Defeating him will be near impossible, if not impossible. That's when the realization hits her quelling her thirst for power.

"Master…" she starts fanning Anakin's hands off her shoulders. "What you are saying is suicide." Anakin's morale dips low. Ahsoka continues, "If you go through with this, Yoda will kill you."

"No Ahsoka, you're wrong," Anakin says bitterly. "It'll be_ me_ who kills him! You overestimate him and undermine my power of the Dark Side!" Anakin's eyes flare a deep yellow filling his anger.

"I'm not saying that, master," Ahsoka ensures him calmly. "It's the truth, I mean just look at all the other Jedi who spoke those same words—look what happened to them!" Anakin holds his tongue allowing her to continue, "Master Marek, Paratus… Master Jinn was lucky enough to have been exiled!"

Anakin chuckles shaking his head, "I find your lack of faith… disturbing, Ahsoka." He brushes pass her looking to the road. "You will soon see my true potential, and you, and all the other Jedi will bow to me as your new Lord of Darkness." He turns his cheek starting back to the road. Ahsoka numbly follows behind knowing nothing she can say will change Anakin's power hungry thoughts.

Ashoka trails a good distant from her master, Anakin doesn't even bother looking back for he keeps his head held high and forward. Depleting his confidence, an unexpected flex in the Force tingles at his stomach. Not an uneasy feeling as he felt earlier, a warm secure feeling. For a second, it took his hate filled thoughts away, never has he felt such a relief… _No!_ He shouts in his mind canceling out the sensation. _Don't go soft!_ Increasing his steps, balling his fist, he clouds his mind with thoughts of capturing the Sith hiding away on this planet.

He can almost envision it, bringing Tyranus to the temple, all the Jedi eyes watching him—watching Anakin escort the most wanted man in the galaxy to Yoda's throne. Showing that he has conquered the one thing the Jedi Order feared the most, showing that he has no fear. Surly, the Jedi will look to him as their new savior… their new Lord of Darkness.

* * *

At the corner of the road, a dozen Stormtroopers stand around a small group of settlement dwellers. Catching Anakin's eye, he goes over to see what's going on.

The Stormtroopers seem to be talking with a local bounty hunter, the Rodian who was temporarily disabled by Tyranus. "…So you are saying that you engaged with the suspect?" The clone Sergeant asks the Rodian who stands along with the two bounty hunters who helped him after the brief scuffle.

"Engaged…?" The Rodian laughs, "He did something to my body! I was like a living statue!"

"What did the suspect look like?" The clone questions further.

"I don't know, he was wearing a hood—a robe, couldn't see his face," the Rodian replies. "He's lucky though… cuz if I had, I would've blasted a new hole in em'!" The other troopers snicker under their headgear. "I'm serious!" The bounty hunter presses angrily.

"Oh no, I didn't doubt you for a second," the Sergeant sarcastically says in a laugh. Approaching from behind, Anakin stops over the Sergeant. Feeling a presence behind him, the Sergeant doesn't bother turning around. "Standing behind a trooper is a galactic offense…" turning around, the trooper jumps back in fright at the sight of a Jedi, "oh, m-my Lord!" He salutes. The other clones immediately fall attentive. "My apologize my Lord, I was just…"

Anakin pushes the clone aside setting his attention on the bounty hunter, "you saw a man wearing a robe?" He asks mechanically. The Rodian glances nervously at the Jedi, "a man with a robe—you've seen him recently?" Anakin asks again with more emphases in his voice.

"Yeah, the other night," the bounty hunter replies. "He was in there," he points to the cantina.

"Do you know where this man went by any chance?" Anakin asks.

The bounty hunter shrugs, "after he paralyzed me… I have no clue."

_Paralyzed?_ Anakin replays in his head. "I know where he went," another voice calls out from behind the troopers. Everyone's attention falls on another bounty hunter, "he went east, into the desert. He took a speeder." Anakin nods his head thinking for a moment, he then leaves the conversation heading back to Ahsoka who has stopped a few meters away.

The Stormtroopers turn their attention in unison back to the Rodian and the two other bounty hunters, "thank you for your cooperation," the Sergeant thanks nodding his squad to move on.

The Rodian folds his arms shaking his head watching Anakin walk away, "this guy has some serious people after him… including me!"

Laughing at his statement, his fellow bounty hunter friends shake their heads at him. "You never fail to make me laugh, Greedo. You're lucky that man only paralyzed you… next time you may not be so lucky."

Greedo huffs a laugh, "yeah, that'll be the day."

* * *

Ahsoka awaits her master to reach her, "he's here," Anakin says narrowly passing her by.

"The Sith?" Ahsoka questions walking after him, "he's really here?"

Anakin doesn't reply for his mind is preoccupied with thinking. He stops walking turning to Ahsoka. "We have to split up," he says. "I need you to stay here in Mos Eisley." Reaching into a pocket on his armor, he tosses a wrist communicator into her hand. "Stay in constant communication, and if you see anyone dressed in robes or even sense something out of place, you contact me immediately." She nimbly nods to her master's word. "Do not underestimate this Sith, Ahsoka. If you see him— do not engage. You contact me, only together… with the Dark Side as our ally, we can defeat him." Again she nods blankly, "don't fail me Ahsoka… I can't do this alone." Ending with that, Anakin whips by her starting down the road.

Ahsoka grips the communicator in her palm turning around watching her departing master, "then where are you heading?" She calls after him.

To her surprise, he actually turns around, "back to the ship," he replies. With that, he continues on his way.

* * *

Artoo remains in the wing of the Star Fighter. Using his mono eye camera, he scans the darken silent desert landscape. Coming into his view, the dark silhouette of Anakin appears in his sight. When Anakin gets close enough, Artoo beeps worriedly that Ahsoka isn't with him.

"It's alright Artoo, I ordered her to stay put in the settlement," he tells the worried droid. Artoo beeps questionably this time, "no, we aren't leaving yet." Anakin climbs on top the wing preparing to enter the fuselage. "We're going to do some reconnaissance, I have a feeling our _fugitive_ is close by…"

The astromech begins to power up the ship preparing for takeoff. Anakin sits himself in the pilot seat ready to liftoff into the sky, when he senses something approaching. Strong in the Force too. Getting out the cockpit, he surveys the area seeing nothing in particular. Then, as he looks around him, he sees a trailing dust cloud with a small dot leading in front. "Artoo, power down the ship," he orders. The droid beeps confusingly, "Just do it!" Jumping off the wing, Anakin lands on the ground squinting his eyes at the approaching anomaly. "What is that?"

Closing in fast, a person—a Jedi encased in a black metallic combat suit complete with a helmet rides on a speeder bike homing in on Anakin. As the Jedi becomes close, Anakin eyes widen in shock. The Jedi doesn't look to be slowing down, even with Anakin standing clear in the open alongside his craft. Seeing that the Jedi has no intentions in stopping, Anakin Force leaps clearing the speeder. Landing back on the surface, he turns around, only to see the Jedi stopping abruptly just feet from where he stands.

Getting off the speeder, the Jedi starts walking towards Anakin. "Are you crazy!" Anakin scoffs meeting the Jedi halfway. "You almost plowed right through me!"

The Jedi chuckles under their headgear, "you moved, like I predicted… so it doesn't matter." The Jedi's voice sounds mechanical due to a voice scrambler installed in the helmet.

"Who are you? Obi-Wan didn't say anything about another Jedi on Tatooine...?" Anakin questions readying his hand to reach for his lightsaber at his waist.

"You always trusted that man," the Jedi replies in a sigh. "Hard to believe his insights haven't gotten you killed… yet." The Jedi reaches for the helmet finally removing it.

Anakin's cautious thoughts are replaced with puzzlement, "Asajj?" He takes his hand away from his lightsaber. "What are you doing on Tatooine?"

"Same as you, I assume?" The bald, grey skinned Dathomirian Jedi replies dryly.

"The fugitive?" Anakin asks narrowly.

Asajj keeps herself from laughing but grows a smirk on her face, "right, the _fugitive…"_ She cradles her helmet in her right arm, "where's your Padawan? Hope she isn't dead… she still owes me a lightsaber."

"Ahsoka's fine," Anakin replies broadly. "She's in Mos Eisley keeping a watchful eye out."

"That's odd for you two… splitting up like that," Asajj says uncaringly. She approaches Anakin glancing up at Artoo who beeps frighteningly at the sight of her, "nice to see you're keeping up with your little droid though."

"Now let me remind you," Anakin begins coldly staring her straight in the eye. "That it was _your_ master that allowed these guys to escape in the first place." He points an accusing finger at her, "why weren't you at his side huh?"

"First off," Asajj slaps his finger away, "I'm not a Padawan anymore, as you can see," she gestures to her armored suit.

"You've been Knighted…" Anakin realizes. "You completed the Trials."

"You almost sound surprised…?" Asajj says scornfully.

"In a way I am," Anakin laughs just a bit, "even after you nearly killed Master Sinbue when we were Younglings cuz you were so clumsy." He laughs coldly, "and they make _you_ a Knight… boy, the Jedi must really be getting desperate."

"You don't say…?" Asajj gravels under her breath. "Maybe that explains why Lord Yoda _personally_ sent me to track his fugitive, alone."

Anakin's smile wipes from his face, "Lord Yoda sent you? But Obi-Wan said—"

"He lied to you, Skywalker, just as he's always has—you're just too big of an imbecile to see it! He knew you were too weak to handle this task alone, which is why they sent me to capture this fugitive. You and the Padawan were just here to feel like you've accomplished something when in reality you contribute to nothing." Asajj turns her back on Anakin, leaving him in conflict with his emotions. "Don't feel bad Skywalker, I'll tell the Lord of Darkness that you did something at least, once I deliver this fugitive to him personally!" She starts for her speeder bike.

Artoo beeps trying to get Anakin's attention. Reflecting on her words, something clicks in Anakin's mind. _If she succeeds in capturing the Sith… my path to defeat Yoda will be ruined…_ "No!" He explodes. The spiking rage in his voice stops Asajj in her tracks. "You won't bring in that Sith… It shall be me!"

Slowly turning on her heels, Asajj faces the enrage Jedi, "so you know?" She smiles.

"I can't let you leave with him, Asajj," he says in a warning voice.

"Or what?" She challenges, "you're gonna kill me?"

Freezing on that statement, Anakin throws his robes off revealing his combat suit. "I don't want to, but if it'll keep you from interfering with my destiny…" he takes his saber into his hand, "then yes, I will kill you."

For a moment, Asajj is actually stunned by Anakin's reply. That was the last thing she'd expect leave his mouth. "Do you hear the words escaping your lips? You do realize that we're on the same side?"

"Please, just stop Ventress—just stop with the reassuring speech!" Anakin shouts flaming with anger. "You think I'm that blind?" He laughs out of nowhere, "I see right through you Asajj—I see the plan you're trying to cover up…"

"What plan Skywalker?"

"Your plan to overthrow Lord Yoda—to take the title of Lord of Darkness and rule over the Jedi!"

"How in the hell am I trying to overthrow Lord Yoda?"

"I just know!" Anakin cries out activating his red lightsaber. "But you won't succeed!" He rushes at her with a cry of anger.

Startled at his rage, Asajj drops her helmet and activates her shorten twin sabers. She crossed them in front blocking Anakin's overhead chop. Parting his saber off to the side, she kicks the Jedi in the gut sending him back. Channeling the Force through her kick, the energy flows through Anakin's armored suit slamming right into his flesh. Even so, the kick did little to slow him down.

Furiously swing his blade like a bat, Anakin stays up on Asajj as she blocks every attack he delivers. With each heavy blow she counters, she herself fights the urge from taking the offensive. Swinging high, Anakin swipes the blade for her head. Asajj ducks clear slashing him across the midsection of his suit. She then channels the Force into the palms of her hands and thrusts the Jedi back throwing a cloud of sand in his face. "Surly you can do better than that!" She taunts.

Gritting his teeth Anakin leaps out the sand cloud, his saber aimed straight at Asajj. She easily dodges his poor attempt of an attack twirling to his side. Before Anakin's eyes could keep up, she delivers an elbow to the side of his head sending him staggering away. "I could've killed you three times already Skywalker," Asajj provokes again. "I'm giving you a chance to quit before you really irk my nerves!"

Scratching the sand out his eyes and getting a grip on his spinning head, Anakin finds his footing hold his saber disorientated. "I won't… let you deny me of my destiny!" He rushes at her again, in which she simply pars his blade and with little effort, moves to the side. Anakin trots to a stop, slightly slumped over clenching his saber with both hands.

"_Destiny?_" Asajj chortles. "What are you dribbling about a destiny…? You have no destiny Skywalker, you're just a Jedi doing your Lord of Darkness's bidding, like the rest of us!"

"And soon, you'll be doing _my _bidding!" Anakin runs at her again. This time, the tip of his saber streaks across her cheek, leaving a stinging blacken burn mark.

Letting out a cry in pain, Asajj stumbles away gripping her cheek. The saber seared the top layer of her skin drawing blood. She narrows her eyes on Anakin with pure hatred, "now you've given me visible proof as to why I'll be sending your headless corpse back to Courscant!" Gripping both sabers, Asajj runs at Anakin, holding nothing back.

Anakin's eyes widen feeling the sudden increase in her Force energy. Rising his blade, he blocks her first attack, though her second attack comes low, scraping his shins smoldering the armor. The molten armor cooks Anakin's leg from the inside. Fighting the pain, he continues blocking Asajj's rage induce attacks.

She attacks like a blur, switching her styles every given chance she can get to confuse Anakin further more. Force to step back as Asajj continues to hammer against his defenses, Anakin's aching legs begin to weaken his stance. Seek to exploit this, Asajj delivers a Force kick right into his wounded knee. His left shin snaps like a twig under her foot. Somehow, Anakin keeps himself from screaming out, the pain surges inside him like a boiling volcano.

On one leg, literally, Anakin withdraws holding his saber limply. Desperately trying to fend off Asajj's constant swaying attacks.

From the safety of the craft, Artoo watches the two Jedi fighting to the death right before his eye. Beeping franticly, he pleads that they stop. Neither of the Jedi can hear him, for their deadlocked in a deathmatch.

Asajj swings in for a strike, holding her blades parallel to one another. She slams right into Anakin's saber flinching him back. At that moment, she unleashes a violent wave of Force Lighting surging into his body. The shock strains and stiffens his muscles to tearing point. The tears behind his eyes jumble like pinballs readying his eyes to explode out his skull. For an instant he muses randomly, _so this is what it feels like…_ Even with his brain sizzling in his head and his blood stinging like fire, he manages to lift his hand and send a Force pulse at Asajj.

The invisible energy snacks her like a physical fist knocking her flat on her back. Her concentration disrupted, Anakin drops to the ground struggling to keep his stamina. Zero ounces of energy resign in his muscles. The Force and rage of the Dark Side is the only thing keeping him conscious.

Asajj recovers off the ground and looks to Anakin. Heat streams rise from his armored suit, he struggles to get back on his feet. The hum of Asajj's lightsabers brings his head up. The grey skinned Jedi calmly approaches him holding a tensed face. Grabbing his lightsaber hilt out of the sand, Anakin holds it out in his hand. Before he could activate it, Asajj swoops down severing his hand from his body.

"_Arghhh!"_ Anakin falls on his back into the sand. His severed hand lands nearby still gripping the hilt of his lightsaber. Screaming at the top of his lungs holding his handless arm close to his chest, he glares up at Asajj through the trim of hair that has partially covered his eyes. "What are you waiting for!?" He shouts flinging spit from his mouth. "Do it!" Hovering one of her blades at Anakin's neck, he keeps his vein popping yellow eyes on her face. "Stop toying around, Ventress! Kill me or I swear on the Force I will come back to haunt you!"

"Shut up!" Asajj shouts still hovering her blade over his throat. "If I wanted you dead, I've would've aimed for your head rather your hand! Your technique is sloppy Skywalker… channeling your hatred is different from allowing it to control you!" She extinguishes her sabers, "you're a disgrace to the Jedi Order! You let your rage control you instead of embracing it!" She shakes her head at Anakin who remains grunting and wheezing in pain. Turning her back to him, she picks his robes up off the ground fanning the sand off. She puts the robe on and starts for her speeder. Anakin's suffering noise halts her for a moment. Burying her emotions, she forces herself not to look back at his broken body.

"You can't do this!" Anakin shouts cracking his voice. "You can't… you can't take what's mine!" Asajj ignores him getting back on her speeder. "Asajj! Asajj wait—don't leave me here!"

Sighing dramatically, she finally looks to him, "you brought this upon yourself, Skywalker. Now you'll suffer for it!" Kicking off the bike, she zips off heading for Mos Eisley.

"Asajj!" Anakin screams after her. "Asajj…!" He drops his head back into the sand looking up at the star filled sky. His vision begins to fade into blackness, when Artoo's frantic beeps gains his attention. Shifting his dry eyes to the astormech, Anakin opens his mouth,"Ar…Artoo… contact… contact Ahsoka… tell her… that Asajj…" He falls unconscious in midsentence.

Beeping hysterically, Artoo propels himself out the wing and rolls towards Anakin. His sensors show that he's still breathing, shallowly. Swiveling his head to Anakin's detached writs, he looks at the com-link still attached to it.

* * *

Lingering in Mos Eisley, Ahsoka sits outside on a bench scanning every face that comes into view. Her gaze falls on a hooded figure gliding slowly through the sea of people. Almost too conspicuous, even so, Ahsoka rises from the bench and pursues after, completely forgetting everything her master told her.

Trialing the cloaked figure, which dips into a narrow alley away from any wondering eyes, Ahsoka takes her lightsaber into hand. Creeping a distance from her target, Ahsoka feels the com-link on her wrist vibrating, indicating that someone is trying to reach her. Ignoring the call, she continues following after the hooded individual.

The figure makes a sudden turn dipping down an adjacent narrow passage. Sensing through the Force, Ahsoka steps lightly sliding along the sharp rocky walks. Peeking around the corner, she throws back her hood getting a clear look down the darken alley. Nothing or no one in sight. Ahsoka swears she'd seen the figure stroll down this way. Without even using the Force, she can anticipate an ambush. "Right… I'm not that dumb," she laughs. Even with every fiber in her body screaming 'setup', she still ventures down the alley, keeping her eyes sharp and her intuition sharper.

Every shadow, every darken corner on which someone can spring out and attack, Ahsoka heightens her senses. The atmosphere is heavy of a presence, a lurker presence much like her own. Whoever occupies this narrow alley with her shares an incredible connection to the Force...

Again, her wrist com-link vibrates disrupting her focus. Forcing herself to ignore it, she continues on. But it becomes unavoidable, the strenuous vibration irritates her mind. Just as she was going to press the talk button, a blacken blur springs from out of nowhere, activating a blood red lightsaber.

Startled, Ahsoka springs her saber alive countering the lighting fast attack. Forcing her back, the figure continues to strafe at Ahsoka, given the narrow space, the two keep an equal fight.

From out of nowhere, the cloaked figure springs a second saber. Coming in low, the blade slips through Ashoka's defenses. Before she knew it, the saber missed her wielding arm by centimeters and bares just a half an inch from her chest. "Still a novice…" the figure snickers. "When it comes to swordsmanship."

Unable to move an inch, Ahsoka disables her saber. She clearly recognizes the hazy, slightly disgusted tone of voice, "Asajj?" She speculates.

Through the darken shadows of the alley, Asajj's piercing yellow eyes appear from her grey face. She grits her teeth in a forced smile, "and here I though you wouldn't recognize me…?"

Slightly put at ease, Ahsoka allows herself to settle down, even though Asajj keeps the tip of her lightsaber at her chest. "I never expected to see you here…"

"You weren't," Asajj deactivates her sabers throwing the hood off her head. "I just so happened to be in the neighborhood. I heard Tatooine is quite pleasant this time of year."

Ahsoka nervously laughs at her obvious sardonic statement, "you don't say…?" Her gaze is caught up by a recent burn mark streaking across Asajj's left cheek. "Looks like someone was trying to rearrange your face not too long ago…"

"Yeah…" Asajj glides her hand across the still stinging scar, "I get that a lot lately. Maybe it's because they're jealous of my… _marvelous_ features."

Ahsoka rolls her eyes coldly, "so let me guess…" she sighs folding her arms, "the Council sent you to track the same fugitive my master and I are after, right?" She speculates dryly. "And they chose not to tell us for whatever reason—am I correct?"

"Partially," Asajj replies numbly. "The Lord of Darkness sent me personally. I've been monitoring this… _fugitive's_ activity for two days now." She points her Force Lighting talon sharply in Ahsoka's face making the Padawan lean away, "long before you and _Dumbwalker _came along," she scoffs bitterly.

"So have you made any attempts in capturing him yet?" Ahsoka challenges moving Asajj's talon out her face. "I thought in those two days, the _great_ Asajj Ventress would've caught em' by now?"

Her lip quivering in anger, Asajj turns her face from Ahsoka looking off the side, "he's more… _skilled_ than I predicted," she admits bluntly. "He's strong in the Force," she glimpse at Ahsoka afraid that she's giving away too much information, for Yoda ordered her to keep this information confidential. Although, Asajj has a feeling that the Padawan may know this already, judging on the cardboard look on her face. Straighten her poster, Asajj gives Ahsoka her full attention, "but together… we may be enough to defeat him."

Taken by surprise at Asajj's doubtless request, Ahsoka unfolds her arms easing the tension in her muscles. "You fought him before, this… the Sith!?" She utters quickly as if the word's a derogative term. Well to the Jedi, it technically is. Asajj blankly nods to the Padawan as a yes. "And you didn't beat him?"

"I went easy on him!" Asajj backlashes, "I wasn't trying to kill him—Lord Yoda wants him alive."

"Yeah…" Ahsoka smirks, "but he still got away."

Asajj grits her teeth at the child's attempt in injecting amusement into this conversation, "would you stop it!" She hisses. "This is serious Youngling, not some joke! This Sith's crafty—his understanding in the Force is beyond anything I've ever seen!"

"I know," Ahsoka agrees, "he took out Commander Wolffe and his entire team all at once during the breakout on Courscant."

"Now I see why the Council fears this Sith. He's beyond anything they've ever found themselves up against…" Just then, a thought invades Asajj's mind. A thought similar to the one Anakin had. _The Council has fear… which means he has fear…_

"Asajj…?" Ahsoka asks getting her out her deep thought. Locking eyes with Ahsoka, Asajj smiles devilishly, an all too familiar smile for Ahsoka. _Oh no… that look…_

"If you are willing to aid me," Asajj starts darkly. "Then you'll come with me now." She turns heading away from the Padawan.

"Then I should contact Anakin," Ahsoka suggest walking after her. "He shouldn't be too—" Asajj snatches the com-link from Ahsoka and throws it to the ground. She then proceeds to stomp the communicator till it's nothing but fragments. "Why the heck did you do that!?" Ahsoka asks upsettingly.

"It's too late for him!" Asajj lunges at her. "It's up to us now, child. That is, if you aren't afraid…" Ahsoka frowns at her, "I'll take that as a no, I hope…" Turning away from her, Asajj starts down the alley tempting the Padawan to follow.

* * *

A trial of blood is left in the sand. A severed hand lies vacant on the ground gripping the hilt of a lightsaber. Anakin manages to drag himself back to the Star Fighter by one hand. His left femur is shattered courtesy of Asajj's Force kick. The Jedi is broken physically and mentally. His vision of capturing Tyranus and dragging him through the main corridor in the Jedi Temple, dead or alive is ruined. Now there won't be any leverage that he'll have in showing the Council that he has beaten their mortal enemy.

Artoo rolls alongside Anakin giving him… beeps of encouragement. The broken Jedi fumbles to his feet gripping the wing of the fighter. He struggles to hoist himself up on top the wing so that he could enter the cockpit. Artoo rolls up behind him acting like a platform for Anakin to stand up on. Using his droid pal as a stepstool, Anakin rolls onto the wing gasping in pain. His sliced hand wound has completely cauterized itself, but it does absolutely nothing in keeping the immense pain at bay.

Managing to get into the cockpit, Anakin seals the clear dome hatch enclosing him in total silence. Floating in an out of darkness, Anakin struggles to stay awake. He doesn't know if closing his eyes will result in them being closed shut forever. Though he is unsure on how long he can survive with so many injuries.

Artoo boosts up onto the wing docking himself into the mainframe compartment. He beeps to Anakin drawing his attention. "No Artoo…" he mumbles allowing his head to rest weakly on the headrest. "We aren't leaving… not until I get my hands on that Sith!" The droid beeps again frantic this time, "I thought you contacted her…? Artoo beeps a quick reply earning a hissing sigh from Anakin. The Jedi closes his eyes for a second then flashes them back open, "well that's just great… Ahsoka always somehow never comes through when you need her the most…" Artoo communicates again in a questioning matter. "No Artoo, we're not contacting other Jedi for help. We haven't failed yet… _I _haven't failed…" Feeling a rush of determination coursing through his veins, Anakin attempts to move his body when the pain strikes him down back into the seat.

Beeping in concern, Artoo suggests that the Jedi shouldn't move for it is a good chance that he'll force himself into shock. "I don't care Artoo!" Anakin grits painfully. "I need to get back out there!" Popping the hatch open, Anakin fights through the pain forcing himself up. Artoo swivels from side to side almost as if he'll be shaking his head in disbelief. Somehow, Anakin keeps from keeling over form the multiple injuries he's suffered. Artoo continues to shout in beeps trying to persuade Anakin to stop. But the Jedi doesn't listen.

Lifting one foot over the cockpit, Anakin then drags his broken leg over. Standing on his one good foot, Anakin hobbles over to the tip of the wing when a sudden strong gust of wind slams right into his back, sending the Jedi tumbling off the edge landing hard on his side bruising his ribs. Unable to move, Anakin lays half sunken in the sand huffing his breaths. The world sideways to his sight, fading into blackness.

Appearing at the corner of his eye, a blinding light brings Anakin back to life. Shifting his head in the sand, he looks to the intense light that manifested itself out of thin air. The white glowing light stings his eyes, until somehow, it becomes bearable to stare at without squinting. Emerging from the light, a blurry figure comes into view. Anakin can sense the presence, non-threating, warm at heart. It instantly strips away his hatefulness.

The figure's silhouette becomes more distingue. A humanoid shadowy shape, Anakin lifts his head out the sand trying to identify this person or… whatever it is. "Anakin…" the figure speaks elegantly. Blinking the sand from his stinging eyes, Anakin squints his gaze on the figure, making out a seemingly ordinary looking Human woman dressed in a beige gown. She stops just a few feet from him. Looking down at the Jedi, the woman shakes her head, "why do you continue to torment yourself like this...?"

Coughing the dust from his lungs, Anakin opens his mouth to speak, "who… who are you?" He slurs hardly audible.

The woman forms a line of a smile folding her hands in front of her body, "that, I'm sure you already know…" She replies mysteriously.

Confused at the strange woman's reply, Anakin thinks for a moment, but his mind falls blank as to who she is. So he simply asks, "who are you? Tell me."

"I'm your mother, Anakin," the woman answers.

The blood in Anakin's body comes to a halt, _my mother…!?_

* * *

Slowly but surely, sunrise begins to take effect showering the horizon with a deep red glow. Arriving back at their igloo, Jango, Qymaen and Boba exit the hovercraft. In Boba's hand is his father's long range blaster rifle. "You shoot pretty good, for a Youngling," Qymaen complements trying his best to keep it from sounding like he's making fun of the boy.

"You really think so?" Boba asks looking up at the Kaleesh walking beside him.

"Yeah," Qymaen replies with a smile, "I have a feeling one day… you may even surpass your father's marksmanship." Boba smiles widely at that statement.

"I won't be too surprised," Jango interjects following behind carrying the rest of the supplies they brought on their trip. "That is unless he can hit the broadside of a moisture vaporizer from twenty meters away…"

"Please, I can do that blindfolded…" Boba vaunts causing both his father as well as Qymaen to laugh.

"Maybe next time Boba," Jango says. "Maybe next time…"

The three enter the igloo finding it vacant of activity. All the lights are off and nobody seems to have been here since they left. "Where's that other man, Tyranus I think his name is?" Boba questions flicking on the kitchen light and placing the rifle on the table.

"I thought he'll be back by now," Jango says placing the two bags into the closet in the main living space. "Qymaen, has he contact you by any chance while we were out?"

Qymaen shrugs, "nothing. Though I'm pretty sure the Sith can handle his own. Last thing he said to me was that he was checking on things back at the hideout."

"You think he ran into that Jedi again?" Boba asks entering the living room.

That was the last thing they dread, but they all know Tyranus has been in battle with more Jedi than any single person in the galaxy. None haven't been able to defeat him, so why would it happen now. "Did you put my blaster rifle away?" Jango asks his son changing the subject. Boba sighs weakly shaking his head, "then do it, and remember to remove the cartridge, I don't want another misfire." Boba nods his head and falls back into the kitchen where he left the weapon.

Jango pats off his dusty tunic and plants himself in his favorite sofa. Qymaen remains standing looking at him while holding a smirk. Relaxing his body, Jango opens his eyes only to see Qymaen looking back at him smiling. In this awkward silence besides the sound of Boba putting the rifle away in the next room, Jango starts to get a little uncomfortable with Qymaen smiling and staring at him in total silence, "what are you doing man?" Jango laughs nervously. "Why are you staring at me like that?"

Qymaen begins to shake his head playfully, "I don't understand you Fett. The way you're living…" the smile on Jango's face wipes away. Qymaen continues, "now don't take this wrong way but… you're not bad-looking… for a Human…" Jango raises a suspicious eyebrow. "I mean sure you're pretty rough around the edges; have a missing leg, beard looks like it hasn't been cut since the Old Republic…"

"What are you talking about Qymaen?" Jango asks insecurely tugging at his long, untrimmed beard.

"I'm saying that you can have a much better life," Qymaen gets to the point. "Unlike Tyranus and I… you can start over. You're kind of young; you can find a woman… maybe two… I mean why live way the hell out here on Tatooine with a… with a younger version of yourself?" He whispers that last part making sure Boba couldn't overhear him. "Which really isn't a bad idea after all…" Qymaen admits.

"Start over?" Jango recalls bitterly. "I can't just start over, Qymaen—I mean I'm technically in the same boat as you and Tyranus!" Qymaen agrees with that, "a _normal_ life with some pretty woman on my arm and two kids is out the door. I mean Boba's enough already… even though he is _me_, technically…"

"You're your own headache, literally," Qymaen jokes.

* * *

In the kitchen, Boba places the blaster rifle into the case of which it's stored in. Taking the case into his hands, the clone child carries it to a nearby narrow closet. Opening the door, he sets the case upright against the wall right next to his father's once signature blue and grey Mandalorian armored suit and jetpack. Sealing the door, the boy turns around about to head into the living room, when he is caught up by an approaching figure through the small window over the sink. Walking closer to the window, he makes out a speeder bike coming to a halt right in front of their igloo. Two robed figures come off the bike and walk causally towards them.

Boba's heart leaps to his throat once he sees the freighting talons sticking out from the Jedi oval silhouettes. Running into the living room, he interrupts his father and Qymaen's chitchat. "Dad, Jedi are at our door!" He exclaims.

Seeing the pale look on his son's face, Jango's body becomes numb. He puts his gaze on Qymaen, "you gotta hide." He springs up from his chair, "if the Jedi discover you here they'll kill us all!"

Boba takes Qymaen's hand, "I'll hide him father." Jango nods to his son as he leads Qymaen into the kitchen.

"I shouldn't have been here…" Qymaen says guiltily as Boba nudges him into the closest. "I put your lives in jeopardy."

"Don't worry, you'll be safe in here, they won't find you," Boba ensures sealing the door on the Kaleesh. To make these not to noticeable, Boba places the trashcan in front of the door so that it wouldn't draw too much attention. Then again these are Jedi, and they feel through unseen energy called the Force.

Jango in trembling with fear as he climbs the short steps from his igloo meeting the Jedi outside. Two Jedi, both woman, stop right in front of him. "Morning, what brings you to my home at this time?" He asks faking a smile.

The closest Jedi near him throws her hood back glaring deeply in his face, "you can cut the warm welcoming for someone who cares…" the grey skinned Jedi sneers. "I know you're collaborating with him… the Sith?"

Jango keeps a steady grip on his trembling emotions from surfacing. The pit in his stomach grows with each word the Jedi breaths. "I'm just a simple farmer ma'am… I know nothing of what you speak off…"

Knowing Jango is lying between his teeth, Asajj shoves him aside invading his home. The other Jedi, Ahsoka, follows behind. Entering the living room, Asajj glances around slowly, taking in everything she sees. Ahsoka stands put at the doorway, "whatever you're searching for… I'm sure it's not here," Jango tells her brushing pass Ahsoka.

Asajj ignores him still looking around. "You see," Asajj grumbles getting his attention. "I'm finding it hard to believe you…" She turns her gaze on to him, "See when I first encountered this Sith, I managed to attach a beacon onto his robes." She quickly approaches him forcing him to step back, only for his space to be blocked by Ahsoka standing firmly behind. "And this… trashy hut of yours, was the last place where it transmitted." She inches her face to his, "now you are going to tell me, where he went."

Jango is a stun for words, how could Tyranus be so careless to have had a tracking device planted on him and come right back to his place? This is the very reason why Jango didn't like Tyranus coming and going from his igloo, he knew some day, a day like this would come along, and sure enough it does. Worse than he could have ever imagine.

"You're wasting your time," Jango speaks keeping his frighten eyes glued to Asajj. "I live alone, I have no friends. I'm a nobody."

Twitching her brow, Asajj backs off. She turns her head to the side when something odd catches her attention, "then what do you have to say about this…?" She moves over to something on the floor, a pile of bloody bandages sit in a waste-bin tucked behind Jango's recliner chair.

His heart sinks again as Asajj sticks her talons into the bandages lifting them so he can see. "I had an incident…" He quacks out. "I just didn't get the chance to—"

"An _incident_?" Ahsoka speaks out. "That's a lot of blood for an accident… what did you do, cut yourself with a buzzsaw?" She laughs coldly.

"I'll say he's been caring for someone," Asajj speculates. "A run away perhaps…? Or maybe this fugitive to the Dark Legion Empire?"

Jango can't hide the fear from showing on his face. He's made a critical mistake that he knows good and well he can't lie out of. "Well… you see…" Jango eyes dart off Asajj and land on Boba who stands petrified by the kitchen opening. Asajj turns around to see the boy, who shudders at the sight of her.

"Well, who is this?" The Jedi grins wickedly approaching him.

"Don't you touch him!" Jango warns in a boisterous voice. Asajj ignores him grabbing the boy tightly by his thin arm. Boba attempts to tug away, but the Jedi yanks him close. She holds the child in front of her so that Jango can see the fear on his face.

"Now we're going to try this one more time!" Asajj says tightening her grip on Boba. "You tell me were the Sith is, and I'll let the brat go."

Jango rolls his head letting out an irritated sigh, "I don't know where he is!" He shouts.

"Well that's too bad," Asajj takes her other hand and presses the sharp tip of her talon under Boba's chin. The child lets out a cry of discomfort.

"What are you doing…?" Jango cries. "What are you doing!?" He tries to move, when Ahsoka uses the Force holding him in place unable to inch a muscle. "Stop! Don't hurt him…!"

* * *

From inside the kitchen closet, Qymaen can hear Jango begging the Jedi to spare his son. From the darkness of this cramped closet, Qymaen feels worthless, hiding like a coward while a cripple and a boy take on two Jedi. If his Kaleesh brothers heard that he was hiding rather than fighting, they'll surely kill him for being a coward in the face of danger. But at the same time, if he busts out the closet and tries to fight the Jedi, he'll easily be killed before laying a punch. And even then, he'll get every killed by his sheer presence alone. He's still a top priority on the Jedi's list of wanted fugitives. Letting out a sigh, Qymaen drops his head back against the wall, opening his eyes, he looks down at Jango's Mandalorian armored suit. His helmet sits on top, an idea runs through his mind…

* * *

"…I told you already," Jango continues to plead still being anchored down by Ahsoka's Force hold. "I do not know where he is!" Asajj continues to dig her talon into Boba's flesh, drawing blood. Tears begin to gush from his tightly shut eyes. "Please, just stop—if you want to kill someone kill me!" Jango pleads. "Just let him go, please I'm begging you!"

Without looking into the Force, Ahsoka can tell that Jango is telling the truth. Sensing his very strong feelings for the boy, she assumes that he would've told them by now of where Tyranus may be. "I think he's telling the truth," she says to Asajj.

"Don't let his fake tears affect your emotions child!" Asajj sneers keeping her talon pointed in Boba's chin. "Soon as we leave he'll contact that Sith and warn him that we're after him!" She looks to Boba, "that is if he's preoccupied with burring his Youngling…"

Jango falls numb at her calm yet haunting tone. Even Ahsoka loosens up from her morbid threat.

Then, out of nowhere, another person appears at the doorway fully dressed in blue and grey Mandalorian armor. Ahsoka eyes bulge out of her head at the sight of the person, who she didn't sense at all this entire time. "Asajj!" She exclaims releasing Jango from her Force hold.

Unbeknown to the two Jedi, the mysterious man who popped out of nowhere is in fact Qymaen concealing his identity with Jango's bounty hunter suit. He takes aim at the Jedi with the blaster rifle. Asajj shoves Boba at him, in which Qymaen dips to the side, the boy lands on the kitchen floor.

Qymaen opens fire with the rifle at the Jedi. Both deploy their sabers with lighting reflexes deflecting the rounds. Jango hits the floor sliding to safety. He plugs his ears with his fingers from the loud laser bolts snapping loudly against the walls after being ricocheted by the Jedi lightsabers.

Qymaen backs into the kitchen still firing at the Jedi. Asajj grows tired of him and unleashes a Force wave directing all the energy right into his body. He is lifted off his feet and is sent slamming into the cabinet behind him. Boba, already out the igloo looks back at Qymaen recovering off the floor. The Kaleesh looks to the boy staring wide eye back at him. He fans the boy to keep running. He does so taking off.

With the Jedi preoccupied with Qymaen, Jango takes advantage of the moment and dashes outside. He spots Boba running towards him, "dad!" He hugs him briefly, "Qymaen's still in the igloo… with that other man."

"I think that _other man_ is him," Jango replies catching his breath from the hair raising experience. His eye land on the hovercraft nearby, "come on, follow me."

* * *

Asajj and Ahsoka enter the kitchen where Qymaen is still struggling off the floor. Jango's armored suit is a custom fit, and with Jango slightly taller, it hugs loosely to his body. The only thing that fits is the helmet, though with the face shield cracked, he can barely see a thing. Reaching out to the rifle nearby, a boot comes down on top his hand shifting the bones under his skin. Qymaen folds his lip and grits his teeth refusing to scream out in pain.

"Pitiful!" Asajj spits digging her heel into Qymaen's hand. Even with the armor cover it, he can feel the sharp numb pain that a few of his fingers are broken. "And for a moment, I thought you had the drop on me…" Lifting one of her sabers, she hovers it over his facemask, the weak point in the armor. Qymaen's eyes cross eyeballing the red saber centimeters from his face. He doesn't say a word waiting for the Jedi to plunge it through his head.

Standing behind Asajj, Ahsoka's attention is directed to the window where she sees a pair of fast approaching headlights. Squinting her eyes, she makes out a hovercraft speeding its way right towards them. "Ventress!" She yelps.

Sensing the incoming danger, Asajj glances up seeing what the Padawan is warning about. Jango is literally speeding right towards them in his hovercraft. Wasting no time, Asajj and Ahsoka dive into the living room as the hovercraft busts through the ceramic igloo walls. Qymaen holds his good hand out blocking the chunks of plaster. Looking up, he sees Jango climb out the craft and assists him inside. Boba helps pulls the Kaleesh in. Putting him in the backseat, Jango jumps back in, shifts the craft into reverse and rockets out the destroyed igloo. Spinning around, he knocks the gear shift into drive and speeds off into the desert.

Running out the igloo, Asajj and Ahsoka watch the trio escape into the sunrise. "They won't get far…" Asajj grumbles to herself. Without looking to Ahsoka she continues with, "get on the speeder Youngling, looks like we'll be hunting our prey the hard way…"

* * *

**Another long chapter! Well a lot took place, Anakin lost his mind... and a few more things; Tyrnaus got his friends in a hot mess and he is nowhere to be found; Asajj is bent on chasing a thirst that all Jedi crave... Next chapter, Obi-Wan, Mace and Qui-Gon begin their conquer of Mandalore and uncovering some old forgotten secretes of the Jedi Order... till next time.**


	12. Shock and awe

**_Part I_**

* * *

_Chapter XI_

**Shock and awe**

* * *

The invasion of Mandalore is in full swing. The vibrant sunlight is blocked out by thick plums of blacken smoke and ash from vaporized buildings and people who were obliterated in the initiated bombing that lasted hours. The rebel fighters were no match to the Alderaaian Warrior Brigade and their air superiority. Still, they managed to shoot down a dozen bombers.

With the surface of the world plunged into all-out war, the first Dark Legion forces prepare to engage in ground battle. Gliding close to the ground, a formation of Dark Legion troop carries speed towards their intended target, a rebel stronghold. The three Master Jedi, Obi-Wan, Mace and Qui-Gon ride in their separate transports looking out the open doorway at the devastated ground below. Random barrages of laser from below impacts the armored transports rocking them violently.

"Gunner!" Obi-Wan shouts over the thunders sound of laser fire getting the pilots attention. "Strafe the ground!"

"Yes my Lord!" The clone pilot grips the yoke between his legs squeezing the trigger. The laser cannon situated under the cockpit reeves up before jolting off a violet wave of laser streaks into the ground.

On the ground, the rebel fighters flee from the carpet of laser bolts raining upon them. Many aren't lucky, caught in the devastation wave cutting right through their armor like it's nothing.

"Good work Obi-Wan," Qui-Gon complements sensing the enemy threat decreasing as they continue through the grey ash cloud. "These Mandalorians are like roaches. The more you stomp the more spring up."

"Then we'll keep _stomping _them until none are left!" Mace retorts strongly through his wrist communicator. He puts his attention to his clone pilot, "how long until we reach our target navigator?"

"Thirteen-hundred meters sir!" The pilot replies turning his head slightly.

"Good, stay the course, and no matter what… don't break formation," Mace orders.

* * *

Staring through a pair of electronic binoculars, a Mandalorian Guildsmen dressed in full armor and equipped with a jetpack stands on the very edge of a destroyed building rooftop. In his sight, a V shape row of flying vehicles catches his attention. Zooming in, he makes out the Dark Legion troop transports making a beeline right for him. "Son of a bitch!" He spits taking the binoculars away from his eyes.

Another Mandalorian, a rebel fighter rushes over to the armed solider. "Sir, I just received word from our troops on the frontline… they've all been decimated. The Empire is closing in on our position!"

"I know son, get a grip!" The Guild member reassures him gripping the rebel's shoulder, "we'll be alright, now I want you and all the other units to gather up in the lobby, be prepared to defend yourselves."

Seeing the seriousness in the Guild's eyes, the young rebel swallows a lump in his throat then bobs his head in reply. "Yes sir," he takes off into the barley standing building running back down the stairs where a large group of rebels brace for the Empire to arrive. Watching the rebel leave his sight, the Guildsman sighs heavily feeling that this might be his last battle. Putting the helmet back on his head he descends the stairs into the building.

* * *

Elsewhere in the blown out building, a robed figure sits crossed legged on the floor. Undisturbed from the raging war outside and the commotion erupting inside the structure which is acting as a base for the rebellion. A deconstructed lightsaber holds still suspended before the figure slowly falling back together piece by piece. The distant rumble of explosions and laser fire do nothing to interfere with this moment. Sitting in a shadow of darkness, with the littlest amount of light seeping through the cracks in the ceiling, the figure breaths easily with no hint of irritation.

Suddenly, the darken room becomes bright with light emitting from a hologram sitting in front of the figure. A cloaked individual, with an oval outline takes form on the hologram instantly gaining the meditating man under the robe garments attention. The lightsaber floating at his eye level drops so that he can make out the image of a similar looking man in the hologram. "Sidious…?" The meditating man speaks surprised. "How did you manage to contact me in such dire times?"

"The bleaker the moment, the more capable I become, Darth Maul," Sidious replies in a sharp raspy voice. Throwing back his hood, the meditating man, shows his blood red face and black facial tattoos. "Nice to see you are in good health, Maul. I was beginning to worry that you had not survived the bombing."

"Hardly…" Maul admits. "I was lucky enough to have stumbled upon a rebel stronghold. Your Intel was correct, we saved a lot of innocent lives thanks to you."

"Good, very good news indeed," Sidious smiles under his hood. "Although I fear to say… this is just the beginning of a long bloody battle. Yoda has sent three of his best Jedi, one of them being Master Jinn."

Maul's eyes widen at the sound of that name, "he's alive? I though Yoda had him killed?"

"As well as I," Sidious agrees. "But it's the truth I'm afraid… I saw him with my own eyes at the Jedi Temple." Sidious takes a moment reflected back on the moment, he can't resist the smile from sketching across his face. "Hard to believe one Jedi such as he can instill so much fear. The Jedi felt so feeble around him…"

"So they do fear something…?" Maul muses.

"More so than you think,"Sidious replies. "They fight amongst each other frequently… scheming… killing, it's such a shame really. Ignorant to the Dark Side of the Force they are. Not even Yoda… as wise as he is, can't see that they are only mere slaves to its power. Well as to you and I are true masters."

"Both Light and Dark run through my veins," Maul lifts his arms out from his robes looking at them. Almost as if he can literally see his blood flowing through his body. "A Force Weaver controls and bends the Force in ways that even they can't comprehend."

"Yes…" Sidious smiles, "yet they still rendered your kind to the brink of extinction to the point that only you and I remain."

The realization of the situation hits Maul, the thought that only two Force Weavers remaining weights a ton on his shoulder. Although, he does not know that Tyranus is also alive and fighting the Dark Legion on the opposite side of the galaxy. Following similar Intel from Sidious too. It was Darth Sidious himself who dropped word to Tyranus of the Mustafar cloning facility. He also assisted him on numerous other missions while hiding in plain sight of the Jedi.

Maul drops his head, "still," he begins, "I was once a Jedi too." He brings his gaze up to Sidious. "They were my brothers and sisters…"

"Not anymore, they are not," Sidious puts down coldly. "The Jedi have become twisted by the Dark Side. They have become a bane to our very existents and must be eliminated to start anew."

Maul feels his body fall numb, "you're talking about exterminating the Jedi Order?"

"I don't like it either, Maul," Sidious agrees. "You and I both know all too well. We've seen the future… we know what'll become of the galaxy if we continue to allow these Jedi to rule. Exterminating them… will be the only way to guarantee the safety of billions." A large explosion rocks the structure Maul is in. The dust from the ceiling gently falls over him. Following the explosion, the sound of marching footsteps alerts Maul that something is going on.

"I have to go Sidious… I sense the Jedi are upon us."

"Do what is necessary Maul, attack from the shadows, if the Jedi discover you on that world… they will not hesitate to kill everyone in their wake," Sidious warns as last remarks while his image dissipates.

Rising to his feet, Maul is shocked by another hard hitting explosion. He uses the Force grabbing his lightsaber in hand and charges into the corridor leading to the central area were the rebel fighters have congregated.

Running in random directions, none of the rebels seem to pay Maul any attention. The rebels are running into their defensive positions ready to engage whatever draws near. Feeling the Force, Maul senses a very strong presences closing in fast. "Brother…! Brother…!" A deep frantic filled voice instantly grabs Maul's ears. Emerging from the sea of rebels, a scrawny, yellow skinned Zabrak with similar facial tattoos to Maul approaches.

"Savage…" Maul meets the Zabrak halfway gripping his arm. "Are you injured?"

Savage shakes his head, "we have been discovered, over a dozen Imperial transporters are closing in on us."

Flying down to the two Zabrak's using his jetpack, the Mandalorian Guildsmen enters the conversation. "You need to get out of here now," he directs his words to Maul. "I have a feeling that Jedi are onboard those transports."

Not wanting to abandon his post as well as the people of Mandalore, Maul hovers heavily on that thought. Interrupting his thinking, a missile fired from one of the transports snaked its way through a crack in the wall exploding inside the structure causing the ceiling to cave in on itself. With no time to waste, the three spring into motion along with the many rebel fights trying to flee the collapsing ceiling. An ear damping sound of crashing concert and plaster following a white dust cloud blanket's over chocking the air. Chucks of the ceiling crush rebel fighters as they desperately make a dash for the exterior of the lobby.

Finally, the last piece comes tumbling down allowing the faint sunlight to shine through the gaping hole. Coughing like mad, Savage stays glued to the floor unable to see anything but a greyish dust cloud. The air is silent, even the constant blaster fire has ceased. Rising his horned head off the floor but keeping his body to it, he tries to get a sense of what came to be of his brother, Maul and the other allies that were around him. "Brother…? Where are you? Where is anyone!?"

A strong gust of air slaps him in the face. The dust cloud dissipates revealing Maul standing right before him. "Savage!" He runs to his brother's side assisting him up. After checking him for injuries, he looks around seeing only a handful of rebels lingering around. Dazed and shocked form what just took place.

The Guildsmen staggers back to his feet adjusting the helmet on his head. "What the hell was that?" He asks.

Before any of them knew it, another large explosion erupts at the doorway. Through the smoke, a barrage of red lasers cut through striking the still confused rebels. Unable to reveal his true nature, Maul takes Savage and drags him out of the fighting.

Still able to fight, the Guildsman raises his blaster rifle and begins firing blindly into the obscuring smoke. "Gather yourself soldiers!" He shouts to the rebels getting them out their state of confusion. "Take arms! Defend yourselves!"

The first few Stormtroopers come into view stepping through the smoke. The Guildsman activates his jetpack hovering high over the troopers' heads. Opening fire with his rapid fire blaster, he manages to cut down four troopers. Seeing the bravery of their commander, the rebels get a grip on reality and begin engaging the troopers. Seeking cover behind chunks of the ceiling, they take potshots at the troopers from a close distance.

"Keep the assault strong," the Guildsman shouts hovering overhead, "don't allow them to overrun!" Appearing out the smoke, three jet-troopers appear flying right for him. Breaking into evasive action, the Guildsman zigzags in the air dodging the laser bolts fired from the jet-troopers. Obvious enough, the clone jet-troopers flight maneuvering is overshadowed by the Guildsman. Ironic enough, the troopers' training was inspired by the Mandalorians.

Dodging a few more shots, the Guildsman shuffles through his weaponry bringing up his wrist flamethrower. With a press of the button, a funnel of orange engulfs the jet-troopers sticking to them like jelly, smoldering their armor and damaging the jetpack. Sputtering out of control, the troopers spin and jolt randomly in the air until the jetpacks explode reducing them to partials.

The rebel fighters manage to keep their ground on the advancing Stormtroopers pushing them back out the blown out doorway.

Powering off his jetpack, the Guildsman lands on his feet joining the rebels in the fight. They manage to repel the sudden burst of troopers forcing them back out into the ashy battleground. Although, through the faceplate of the Guildsman's armor, his gut feeling was telling him that this was way too easy. While the remaining of his rebel forces catch their second wind, checking their ammo and checking the wounded, the Guildsman removes his helmet getting a feel of the area with his own eyes.

The smoke has cleared, Darth Maul and his brother have left the premises, but still, he isn't entirely sure if this attack was just a way to flush them out. Before he could think any further, the sound of a transport touching down right outside the building gains his full attention. Sharpening his gaze, he sees that the transport is hovering just inches off the ground kicking up dust. _Something isn't right…_ he dreads. Out of nowhere, a sudden force pushes the Guildsman off his feet sending him careening into the air. Using his jetpack to stabilize, he hovers fixed in the air.

His vision is obscured with a large dust cloud before him. After seeing the large gaping hole in the doorway that looks to have expanded, the Guildsman realizes that another explosion had took place that sent him flying. The shot originated from the hovering transport, a pointblank blast from the nose cannon knocked the wind out of him. He was lucky, the armored suit he's encased in saved him from massive injures. For his rebels, who are just regular people dressed in standard clothing weren't so fortunate.

The bodies of his men and women scatter the floor. Many are still alive but are severely injured. Hard to believe that one blast from one transport ended his entire faction. His eyes stop upon the face of the young rebel of whom he just spoke with moments before the attack. He boy's face battered and bloody, his blue eyes stinging red filled with despair are locked on the hovering Mandalorian Guildsman.

Feeling his throat closing shut forces the Guildsman gasping for air. His body sudden jolts to the left impacting a wall, the jetpack on his back detaches. Again, his body lunges like a ragdoll crashing to the floor.

Confused on what just happened, the Guildsman lifts his head from the floor looking up at a cluster of figures approaching. Three of which he identifies quickly based off the chrome black plated suits of armor they wear. The other figures are Stormtroopers, an entire squadron of them.

Anchored to the floor by the tremendous Force hold from one of the Jedi keeps the Guildsman from moving an inch. Passing him by, he looks on at the Stormtroopers who proceed in making sure the rebel fighters are all dead. Firing a single laser bolt in their chest with the littlest remorse. The Guildsman eyes find their way on the young rebel who still holds his frighten gaze on him. That is until the legs of a Stormtrooper divide their visual contact. The trooper takes aim at the frighten rebel, "No…!" The Guildsman quells out. His call is interrupted by the loud laser blast that ends the young rebel's life.

"Fan out!" Mace's abrasive voice sounds off ordering the clone troopers. "Search this building and eliminate any opposition you may come across." Without question, the Stormtroopers march out until the three Jedi are left with the Guildsman in their grasps. Qui-Gon's grasp.

Approaching the Guildsman, Qui-Gon increases his Force hold on the man's body pinching his skin under his armor. "Struggling will only make the pain more than what it really is…" Qui-Gin teases unemotionally. "But by all means, try until your muscle spas out."

Cringing under the tremendous pain, the Guildsman manages to utter words through his grit teeth, "cowards! Killing innocent people like animals!"

"That's funny," Mace scoffs, "I could've sworn that's what I saw from the transporter while flying above, a bunch of rabid animals…" Qui-Gon snickers at that.

"What are you sick bastard waiting for? Just kill me!" The Guildsman shouts.

"No, not yet," Qui-Gon lifts him to his feet, "you'll serve us well on where the Duchess is seeking shelter. You will tell us where she is…"

"You're gravely mistaking Jedi," the Guildsman replies uttering a laugh. "I would rather die where I stand before wasting any more of my—"

A hot red beam cuts straight through the Guildsman, searing through his armor suit like butter to a knife. Letting out a gasp, the Guildsman clings on to Qui-Gon feeling his legs weakening under his weight. Qui-Gon leans over the Guildsman's shoulder putting his mouth to his ear. "Then join the rest of the rats bleeding on the floor!" Yanking his saber out, the Guildsman buckles to his knees before tipping over falling face down on the floor dead.

Mace and Obi-Wan stand behind Qui-Gon watching the entire thing. Neither of them are fazed by what the Master Jedi just did. They themselves have also executed many others in a similar fashion. Although they needed the vital Intel of the Duchess location, all of them know the Mandalorians will die before talking.

"My Lords," A trooper officer approaches from behind. Neither of the Jedi turn in his direction, but the officer knows they are listening. "We've discovered people hiding down stairs in the basement."

"Round them up for judgment," Qui-Gon takes his gaze off the dead Guildsman and looks to the officer. "Including the woman and children."

"We'll round them up at once my Lord," the officer acknowledges turning away.

The remaining Stormtroopers pour into the structure completely taking it over. The troopers pass the three Jedi master standing in the center of the destroyed lobby floor. All three are hit with a strong presence neither of them could comprehend.

"Do you sense that?" Obi-Wan asks.

Qui-Gon and Mace nod in reply still focusing on the feeling, "whatever it is…" Mace begins, "it's strong in the Force, very…"

* * *

Trotting through the destroyed battle ridden landscape, the two Zabraks duck and evade Dark Legion aircraft zipping overhead. The Alderaaian bombers continue their onslaught reducing the already destroyed landscape into nothing but dust. Beneath their feet, the ground rumbles and shakes from the heavy impacts of explosions.

Maul and Savage seek refuge under a still stable overpass. A legion of Stormtroopers march across firing at the Mandalorian insurgents all around the landscape. "They won't stand a chance!' Savage says to his brother. "We have to help them."

Maul grips his brother's shoulder keeping him hidden from sight, "we can't Savage. If these troopers know of my presence, they will stop at nothing to eliminate everyone on this planet."

"I thought you were supposed to be a Sith," Savage slaps Maul's hand off his shoulder. "Sith don't coward and hide!"

"Have you been paying any attention to anything I've told you?" Maul gravels. "Sidious ordered us here to rally resistant fighters, _not_ to fight their battle for them!"

"There won't be a battle left to fight if we continue to do nothing!" Savage replies sternly.

Interrupting their conversation, a massive bomb hits close to where they hide turning over the ground. A Dark Legion fighter is diving out the sky preparing to strafe the bridge. Maul and Savage are right in its path.

The ship opens up with its rapid fire blaster cannons upturning the ground as it nears the bridge. Maul and Savage brake into a run as the fighter launches two rockets at the bridge destroying it.

Dust and chunks of stone from the overpass land randomly around Maul and Savage who had dived to the ground covering their heads. The fighter zips over them, banking back into the grey atmosphere. The Stormtrooper legion has advanced on pushing the rebels back.

Savage and Maul get to their feet, their minds erased of the brief argument they happened moments ago. "I don't think they are going to win this war," Savage says solemnly.

Maul nods a quite reply fearing the same. Looking around, nothing but a cloud of ash and rubble scatter the lands. Under the blanket of white and grey, the corpses of the dead stick out. Seeing all this unnecessary loss of life everywhere he turns, Maul can't keep his emotions from taking over his stubborn mindset.

For the past twenty years ever since the Jedi Order went Dark Side, Maul's decisions have been non-emotionally based. Even when the Dark Legion hunted down and exterminated every Jedi that opposed them, he's kept his mind narrowed on one goal. He's ignored twenty years of near extinctions of sentient races, he's ignored the massive genocides and crimes the Jedi have committed. But this, this ash of death that surrounds him now is changing his mind. The Jedi Prophecy speaks that one day, one Jedi will bring an end to this hell. Taking that into consideration, Maul uses the Force taking his lightsaber into hand.

Savage stands behind him seeing this transition. Savage isn't all that Force Sensitive, but he can still fell the heaviness radiating off his brother. "This senseless violence must end," he gravels through grit teeth. "It will end." Without looking to his brother, Maul begins walking prompting Savage to follow.

* * *

**Well, that's it for now. Next chapter in beta, until then…**


	13. Caged

_**Part I**_

* * *

_Chapter XII_

**Caged**

* * *

"Keep your head down Boba!" Jango shouts to his son in the backseat of the hovercraft. Jango has his foot on the accelerator, gunning the convertible craft as fast as it can go across the desert flat. The binary suns flare into his eye reflecting off the metallic hood and shining through the windshield.

A bombardment of laser fire zips pass them missing the vehicle by mere inches. Cracking his neck around, Jango catches a glimpse at a speeder bike occupied by two very dangerous individuals. Jedi, and they are closing in on them fast.

Qymaen snatches the helmet off his head feeling the instant slap of wind in his face. "Can this damn thing go any slower!?" He shouts sarcastically.

"I'm pushing it as fast as it can go!" Jango returns keeping his eyes on the terrain, "it's not a pod racer y'know."

Keeping his head low, Boba peeps his eyes over the headrest getting a glimpse at the fast approaching Jedi. A laser bolt fires from the Jedi' speeder bike zipping right over the boy's head. "They're getting closer!" He panics.

"Boba, keep your head down!" Jango repeats himself. "Qymaen, see if you can shake them off our tail—or by us some time at least."

"With pleasure…" Using his good hand, Qymaen takes hold of the blaster rifle in his lap. He positions himself so that he is aiming at the relentless Jedi chasing them down. Staring down the sight, he centers his aim at them before squeezing off a shot.

At the controls of the speeder, Ahsoka sees the incoming fire and takes evasive action. Asajj rides on the back of the bike behind Ahsoka. She wraps her arm around the Padawan's midsection to avoid being flung off the bike. Qymaen's shooting is right on point forcing Ashoka to stay vigilant. She eases off the throttle making her chances in veering clear of the laser fire easier.

"Stay on them!" Asajj shouts into Ahsoka's ear sharply.

"What do you think I'm doing?" Ahsoka replies back sternly. "We can't get too close with that guy shooting at us."

"Just get alongside their vehicle…" Asajj tells her. "I'll take care of the rest."

Nothing but desert lies before them in every direction. Jango keep a led foot on the accelerator rocketing the hovercraft through oblivion. Their chance of outrunning the Jedi is slim at best. The only thing keeping them alive is Qymaen's constant fire upon them. But how long can that last?

Boba remains low looking up at Qymaen shooting at the Jedi. He shifts his head looking to his father who is constantly glancing at the mirror. That is until a laser bolt comes streaming through zapping the mirror from existence and blasting a burning hole through the windshield. "Damn that was a close one!" Jango exclaims ducking his head.

Ahsoka shoots back using the laser cannon at the nose of the speeder. She concentrates her aim at Qymaen. With all the dust being kicked up from the two speeding vehicles, she can't make out his feature. Although she can see enough to make a fatal shoot. She pulls the trigger sending a laser bolt right for his head. The bolt is diverted by the rifle he holds and it instead strikes his chest. The energy behind the laser bolt knocks the air out of Qymaen's lungs. He lunges back losing his grip on the rifle and it falls over the end.

"Qymaen…!" Boba yelps seeing the Kaleesh keel over in the backseat.

"I'm… I'm alright," he reassures the boy in a struggling voice. He looks to his chest where the round had hit. Jango's bounty hunter suit had stopped the blot from penetrating. Even so, Qymaen has a sense that a rib may be broken.

Taking advantage of this ceasefire, Ahsoka revs the bike zooming in on the hovercraft. Boba picks his head up seeing the two Jedi closing in fast. "Dad… Dad they're coming!" He cries out to his father.

Jango snaps his neck to the right, where he spots the Jedi right on top of them. He matches eyes with both of them intensifying his heart rate. "Boba hang on!" He warns his son. Boba warps his arm around Qymaen who is still recovering from the pointblank laser shot.

Jango attempts to ram into the Jedi's speeder, when Ahsoka suddenly breaks missing the hull of the craft. She comes around on the left side where Asajj springs off the back and lands on the hood of the craft. Jango jumps in fright staring wide-eye at Asajj looking back at him through the windshield. She can't help but smile cynically at the look on his face.

Jango reaches for the glove department where a blaster pistol lies. He grabs hold of the handgun and aims it at Asajj. Before he could fire, the Jedi had planted a timed explosive on the hood. Jango's blood freezes hearing the bomb ticking off. Asajj dives off the vehicle. The bomb is primed to explode. "Boba stay dow—" the explosive detonates before Jango could finish his sentence. The hovercraft pitches nose first flipping high into the air. Qymaen and Boba are expelled out into the sand, while Jango remains as the hovercraft comes crashing back down to the surface.

It hits the ground hard. Tumbling end to end like a discarded soda can. Finally, it comes to a rest upside down after tumbling fifteen feet.

Everything falls into silence. The arid wind blows slightly across the landscape as if nothing took place. Ahsoka comes to a stop a few feet ahead of the destroyed hovercraft. A faint mist of blacken smoke rises from the craft.

Jango crawls out from the wreck, the blaster pistol still in his hand. His vision blurred as he shakes his head trying to clear the clutter from his still raging mind. Turning his attention to the left, he sees Ahsoka stopping nearby on the speeder. She then gets off and begins to walk towards Jango, having her lightsaber ready in hand.

Aiming the barrel of the blaster at her weakly, Jango opens fire. Ahsoka responds instinctively springing her saber alive and deflecting the rounds. Every shot, she hacks and reverts all while moving even closer towards him. When she feels the time's right, she snags the blaster out of his grip using the Force and into hers. "Really?" She says dryly.

Jango lowers his head hissing out a sigh. Ahsoka deactivating her saber walking over to him, she holds on to the blaster in her other hand. Looking beyond Jango, her gaze falls upon Boba and Qymaen being forced to walk with Asajj straggling close behind.

Qymaen limps along pressing his hand under the armored vest on his bruised ribs. Ahsoka's eyes widen at the sight of him. Asajj kicks him in the back of the leg forcing him on his knees, an arm's length in front of Jango. She then forces Boba on his knees next to Qymaen. "Looks familiar?" Asajj asks Ahsoka. Qymaen glances up at her meeting her eyes, she simply nods holding his gaze. "It's the Sith's lapdog," Asajj continues. "You know, the one you and _Dumbwalker_ were tasked in interrogating?"

Ahsoka cuts her eyes at Asajj hearing the scornfulness in her voice, "so what are we gonna do with them?" She asks emotionlessly.

"What do you think?" Asajj replies obviously. Boba sucks in a panic breath knowing what the Jedi are about to do. "Let me see that blaster your holding." Ahsoka passes the weapon to her. Jango glimpses up at the bald Jedi, "we'll make it look like an accident," Asajj says inspecting the pistol. "You know make it look like they were ambushed by those disgusting Sand People. It'll be like we were never here; Lord Yoda would like that…"

Asajj looks to Jango staring back at her with a smoggy face, "the honors yours," she says, "which will die first? Your little brat here or the Sith's henchman?"

Jango sighs heavily bowing his head, "you don't have to do this," he speaks lowly.

"What was that?" Asajj recalls.

Jango raises his head up looking in her eye, "you don't have to kill them!" He says strongly.

Asajj shoots a glance to Ahsoka standing behind Jango. "You're right I don't," Asajj replies. "But I want to. For all the headache and trouble you've caused me—now choose or I will!"

"I lied!" Jango blurbs out, "look I lied about not knowing where Tyranus is hiding."

"Is that so?" Asajj chuckles, "if that's true, then what was your reason for speeding off into the desert forcing me to go after you?" Jango didn't have an explanation for that. "That's what I thought." She aims the barrel of the blaster at Qymaen's head. He tenses ready for the blast.

Jango's body falls numb, "no don't—" _Clink!_ The blaster doesn't fire. _Clink…_ again, the gun chirps empty. Qymaen slowly opens his eyes seeing the horrified face Jango holds. For a moment, he thought he was dead, until Asajj's abrasive voice brings him back to reality.

"Isn't that my luck," the Jedi sighs. "Gun's empty," she tosses the weapon aside. "I never liked blasters anyway… such a coward's weapon." Jango sighs in semi relief at that setback, hoping it'll give him more time to save not only his life but his son's and Qymaen's too.

Asajj brings her attention to Ahsoka, "see if you can find any weapons in their vehicle." Ahsoka nods her head going back to the turned over hovercraft.

A suspenseful silence flows between Jango, his son and Qymaen. Just inches from each other's faces, all three can read the fear, distress and uncertainty radiating off one another. Asajj begins to pace nonchalantly behind Qymaen and Boba, tossing her lightsaber lightly. Jango eyes follow her reading the calm expression on her face. Taking the moment, he turns his head looking back at Ahsoka raffling through the hovercraft searching for a weapon to murder them with. Jango turns his head back to center glancing at Asajj continuing her pacing.

"Listen to me," Jango speaks again. Asajj sighs tiresomely paying little to no attention to him, "I can get you your Sith—I can bring Tyranus to you… please just listen to me—"

"Jango… Jango!" Qymaen breaks in gaining his attention. "Can't you see… that this Jedi has made up her mind ten seconds ago?" Jango's face falls flat and his heart freezes in his chest, "accept it. It's over. We lost." Asajj stops tossing her saber hearing Qymaen's words finding them strikingly familiar. A painful memory dating back to her Padawan days of which she found herself in a very similar predicament…

Ahsoka returns holding a blaster in her hand, "found one," she tosses the weapon to Asajj.

Qymaen takes a breath knowing the end is near yet again. Asajj checks the weapon finding it fully loaded this time. "I take it that neither of you have any last words?" She asks in a cold joke. Qymaen shakes his head accepting his fate. Ahsoka folds her arms watching Asajj aim the blaster for the Kaleesh's head.

Boba shuts his eyes and looks away, unable to watch him be executed. Asajj's finger rests on the trigger but for some reason, the darkness that rendered her heart begins to lift. The realization of her actions keeps her from pulling the trigger. Keeping the gun pointed at Qymaen, she looks to Jango, "you said you can bring the Sith to me?" She asks. Jango nods his head in reply. "How?"

"I-I have a communicator…" Jango explains "it's in my vest. I can contact him for you." Asajj gives him a nod of approval.

Slowly, Jango takes one of his hands and reaches into his tunic. Ahsoka unfolds her arms readying her saber in case he does the unthinkable. Asajj sharpens her eyes on his vest watching him withdraw his hand with the communicator in his grasp. "What are you waiting for?" Asajj presses, "contact him. But keep in mind, you say something odd or otherwise tip him off of our presence…" She aims the blaster at Boba, "the Youngling dies first, understand?"

Jango swallows heeding her threating warning. He then proceeds to activate the palm size communicator, it hisses to activation before the signal clears up. Jango puts his lips close to the mic, "Tyranus…? Tyranus are you there?" Nothing replies back. Jango glimpses up at Asajj who keeps the blaster aimed at his son. Seeing the fear written across his face make's Jango's stomach turn. "Tyranus do you read me?"

Finally, the voice everyone wanted to hear, _"Jango…?"_ Tyranus crisp, deep voice answers. _"What is it my friend?"_

"Where… where are you?"

_"Excuse me?"_ Tyranus replies confused.

"No it's just… we're worried about you is all—you've been gone a long time," Jango says trying to mask the shakiness in his voice.

_"I'm sorry to have kept you worried,"_ Tyranus apologizes suspiciously. _"I've been attending to affairs… what is it that you need?"_

"We need…" Jango pauses glancing up at Asajj still holding his son at gunpoint, "we need you to come back to my place." Tyranus doesn't reply right away allowing a long strenuous silence to take his place, "Tyranus?"

_"Give me three hours…"_ Tyranus comebacks, _"matter of fact, I'll contact you when I'm on my way."_

Jango sighs, "alright good, we can't wait to see you Sith." Tyranus ends the call without any goodbyes.

Asajj takes the blaster off Boba granting him time to breath. "On your feet, all of you," Asajj orders. They do as they are told. Qymaen struggles to pick himself up, his body is in a lot of pain especially his chest. "I said get up!" Asajj pulls him to his feet.

She glances at Jango as he begins to slide the communicator back into his vest. "I don't think so," she approaches him holding her hand out, "hand it over." Hesitatively, Jango draws his hand back out and drops the communicator into Asajj's hand. Passing him, she walks to Ahsoka and gives her the communicator, "bring them back to that hut of his."

"And what are you going to do?" Ahsoka asks.

"Just do as I say child," Asajj replies dodging the question. She walks pass Ahsoka going for the speeder bike, "and make sure that communicator doesn't leave your sight."

"It won't," Ahsoka says lowly. She turns to the three staying put, "don't just stand there, move."

* * *

Meddling in the dark confines of his hideout, Tyranus meditates deeply after ending that awkwardly brief conversation with Jango just a few minutes ago. He knows for a fact that something terrible has happened, because Jango never calls him for any reason and he'll never invite the Sith to his home genially. For as long as Tyranus has known the man, he knows very well that he lives off the radar with little communication with the outside world.

Breaking his time to think, a hologram takes form brightening the darkness of his chamber with the image of Sidious. "Lord Tyranus…" Sidious gravels, "I was wondering when you were going to contact me. I was growing bored of not hearing your voice."

"I told you many times before," Tyranus begins opening his eyes, "to not address me as 'Lord' Tyranus. Just Tyranus."

Sidious laughs hoarsely at his correction, "still shunning the Dark Side within you. Your resistance is unnecessary, Tyranus… you're a Force Weaver. Sooner or later you'll learn to accept both sides of the coin. You'll soon realize that the Dark Side is much of an ally as the Light."

"I did not summon you to question my allegiance, Sidious," Tyranus quickly changes the subject, "I called you for your aid."

"And how might I be able to help the 'undefeatable' Tyranus?" Sidious asks.

Tyranus stands from his sitting position on the floor, "it's my friends," he begins. "I sense… I _know_ that they're in interment danger. And I also know I alone cannot save them."

"Ah… your friends are in danger..." Sidious sighs musically. "Why do you care? It doesn't mean anything to you."

"I care because these people are like family to me," Tyranus confesses. "And if anything happens to them…" he doesn't even want to think about that dark thought.

Sidious smiles seeing the worry on the Sith's face. He can't sense him, but that's all he needs to know what drives Tyranus to be successful, "I see you care very much for these people. That you'll do anything to save them…"

Tyranus catches the grimness in Sidious's tone, "anything but that," he sneers. "I'll never go down that road again!"

"Your misunderstanding of the Dark Side of the Force is perplexing," Sidious tells him. "The harder you run from it… the greater the thirst becomes…"

"I told myself years ago that I'll never allow such evil to seep through my veins ever again," Tyranus replies almost as if speaking to himself. "Which is why I'm asking you Sidious," he faces the hologram. "For another way to resolve this. From what I remember, you still have connections with a specific specialist who is capable of getting people out of tight situations."

"It depends, Tyranus," Sidious says. "these _specialist _are capable of most things—but this… this is different."

"Sidious, I am practically begging you. I can't do this alone." Tyranus rubs his brow flopping down in a nearby chair, "I know the Jedi are using my friends as bait to draw me out, and it's a big chance that they'll kill them before I can do anything. This is why I ask you to contact those freelancers for me."

Sidious sighs heavily, "alright, I'll help save your friends, it's the least I can do after all. Though I fear to say… be expecting a slight _delay_ in their arrival."

"What do mean by that?" Tyranus questions.

"The Dark Legion Empire has ceased all space travel to that world because of _you_ and your friends," Sidious explains. "Not to mention that there is a Star Destroyer orbiting Tatooine as we speak."

Tyranus rubs the back of his neck, "I'll do what I can over here, you just make sure those specialists arrive in three hours, no less."

Sidious smiles, "don't you worry, _Lord_ Tyranus. They will be there when you least expect…"

* * *

Chaos erupts in Mos Eisley. Every spaceport resort is now closed until further notice. Stormtroopers stands post at the sealed gateways taking on an angry mob of people who desperately want to get to where they have to go. The streets are clogged with pedestrians increasing the chances of riots springing out at a moment's notice. Adding to the peoples' annoyance, the sun beams down upon their necks making them more frustrated than normal. None of them saw this coming, this has never happened in the galaxy's history. With the spaceports closed, independent worlds that rely on the shipping lanes will suffer economically if this lasts more than a week.

With the angered, irritated atmosphere looming on everyone's mind, a man wonders out from the sandy outskirts of the settlement limping his way down the main road. Holding his injured wrist and dragging his body by one leg, the man grunts and moans with each painful step through the burning sand. Onlookers just stare, wondering what happened to him. Especially seeing the near destroyed chrome black armor hanging loosely to his body, they instantly know that he's a Jedi. A Jedi who is nearing his last leg.

Through his stinging red eyes, the Jedi can't get a grip on reality. A ghostly, feminine voice echoes softly in his head yet he can't make out what it is saying. In the distance, he sees a faint image of woman appearing through windows, behind walls and besides people. Yet no one but he sees her, looking back at him. Everywhere his eyes fall, he sees her.

Up the dusty road, a dozen Stormtroopers disperse a small crowd of angered people who are now deserted on this desert planet. While moving the people along, the clone captain sees the Jedi limping his way. His eyes explode under his helmet, "Lord Skywalker!" The captain hustles over to Anakin, two other troopers accompany him.

Unable to walk any further, Anakin drops to the ground like a ragdoll but remains conscious. The captain knells down to his side removing his helmet showing strong resemblance in a young Jango Fett. "Get a medic over here!" He orders one of the troopers who hastily rushes to retrieve one. The captain puts his attention back on Anakin. He looks to his wrists noticing that his hand has been severed. "Aye hurry up!" He shouts back to his troopers fearing that Anakin will not pull through.

* * *

It is now high noon on Tatooine. Both suns hang crisscrossed in the sky beaming heavy sunlight on the planet. The moisture vaporizers are working double-time to accommodate the scorching heat.

Sitting in Jango's living room back at his half destroyed igloo, Ahsoka sits with her feet kicked up on a glass tabletop across the room staring at Qymaen, Boba and Jango. Her robe spread out on the back of her chair exposing her grey and black uniform of which all Jedi Padawans wear traditionally ever since the beginning of the Dark Order. Boba sits on the floor fiddling with his thumbs, while Qymaen and Jango sit in flimsy plastic lawn chairs. The living room is all but quite between them, besides Ahsoka twirling her lightsaber on the table in front of her. The communicator rests next to it. Jango has his eyes set on the communicator, _if I can just get over there... _then again, it'll be suicide since the Padawan would surly strike him down faster than he could ever move. So he scrubs the heroic idea and stays glued to the chair.

The heat in the living room is unbearable making them all break out into a sweat. Qymaen is hardly hanging on. The wound to his chest, his broken fingers courteously of Asajj and this heat are wreaking havoc on his condition. Already, he begins to feel delirious, his mouth becomes dry as cotton and a tremendous migraine drums on his brain.

Jango takes notice of his friend and worries that he'll die if he doesn't do something, "Qymaen, you alright?"

"He's fine," Ahsoka speaks startling him, "leave him alone."

"He's not fine, look at him!" Jango pleas, "he's dehydrated… the least we can do is get this suit off him." Ahsoka glides her eyes across Qymaen's face still twirling her saber on the glass tabletop. "Please, just let me take this armor off him and get him some water." Sighing through her nostrils, Ahsoka nods slightly giving him permission. "Thank you," Jango says rising up from his seat. He helps Qymaen up and leads him to a nearby closet where it is cooler.

He sets Qymaen down on the floor and begins removing the sections of armor off his body. Catching Jango's eye is a hidden blaster in a small compartment in the corner of the closet. As he helps Qymaen remove the armor, he makes sure to place the removed parts close to the hidden compartment so that he can somehow withdraw the weapon. Before he can make a move, he feels Ahsoka's presence hovering over his shoulder. He doesn't turn around to see but he knows she's right at the closet doorframe watching everything he does.

"Boba go get some water," Jango calls to his son still sitting in the living room. His son does what he is told. Ahsoka glimpses to the boy as he gets up and goes into the kitchen which is still in her line of sight. He turns on the faucets spurting out a tickle of water. Moving a few chunks of the destroyed wall from the cabinets, he reaches for a cup at the top shelf when his arm tips a glass platter over and it shatters on the floor.

The earsplitting sound draws Ahsoka's attention. At that moment, Jango frantically opens the hidden compartment taking the blaster pistol out and tucking it into his vest out of sight. Looking away from Boba, Ahsoka looks back at Jango and Qymaen, "alright that's good enough, now get back to your seats." With the torso armor removed from him, Jango assists Qymaen up. The two lock eyes momentarily, Qymaen knows what Jango is prepared to do and he's onboard with the plan.

* * *

Following a hunch, Asajj lays prone in the sand with her robe draped over her head protecting her from the blistering sun. The speeder bike parked behind her, she lays staring through a pair of electronic binoculars surveying the empty desert. There isn't anything in sight, despite the wreck of the hovercraft hugging the horizon line. It has been well over an hour now and no one has fallen into her eyesight. Still, the Jedi remains patient keeping an eye out for even the smallest of details.

Then, appearing on the sizzling horizon line, a black blur slowly creeps her way. She licks her dry lips anticipating that this is the Sith. The figure comes closer in her viewfinder, but still blurry to not make out anything. She guesses that the person is moving on a speeder because of the dust trial left behind them. The closer the figure gets the more Asajj hopes it's the Sith, coming to save his friends.

Stopping abruptly, the figure pauses in the middle of the desert. Asajj freezes her glare on him, she can make out his blacken robe flattering in the dry gust. Even still, she can't make out if it's him. "Come on just a little closer…" she prays gripping the binoculars tight in her grasps. She watches the figure not moving for a few moments before it makes a U-turn zipping back the way it came. "No!" The Jedi yells out in a flare of anger. She jumps to her feet and gets onto her speeder zooming after what she thinks is Tyranus.

The wind slapping in her face as she revs the speeder as fast as it can go. The suspect is far ahead of her but she is determined to catch up. The thought that this may be an elaborate set up or diversion doesn't pass through her linear focus mind, for she can contact Ahsoka, via communicator and order her to kill the three hostages. So either way it goes, she makes sure that only she'll comes out on top.

Gliding across the flatland, the figure riding the speeder leads Asajj into a canyon where she keeps her eye narrow on his every move. No average person can navigate these sharp narrow turns and twisted passages especially at this speed, _it has to be the Sith!_ Asajj perceives.

Keeping pace with the fast maneuvering figure, the wind begins to dry out Asajj's eye. She strains her eyes to remain open fearing that she'll loss sight of him. Out of nowhere, after trailing the figure around a sudden turn in the canyon, it vanishes. Asajj's hopes sink as she decelerates to a stop, "blast!" She curses slamming her hand on the frame of the speeder.

She remains sitting on the bike feeling a presence lingering. A smile forms on her faces as the feeling intensifies. On both sides of her are high standing canyon walls. A perfect place he'll attack from. She feels the Sith's watching her and knows exactly where he is. Without looking in that direction, she channels all her hatred before sparking Force Lighting at the ridge to her left. The lighting hits only rock. No one there.

Appearing on the opposite side of her, Tyranus draws his hood back preparing his lightsaber. He leaps off the edge springing his saber alive homing in for the Jedi. Asajj with lightning speed, jumps her sabers alive deflecting the Sith's blow.

Tyranus' blade slides across hers and cuts into the speeder disabling it. Tyranus lands on his feet pointing his saber at Asajj who has jumped off the bike. "You Jedi always act before thinking," Tyranus says. "How did you know that person you saw in the desert was in fact me?"

"I didn't," Asajj replies. "I just assumed."

"The Force runs strong within you Jedi. The last time we met, you caught me off-guard, this time…" he grips his saber with both hands, "I'm fully aware."

Asajj can feel the Force within him, way stronger than their first battle and she had the element of surprise then. Now she'll face his full wrath.

Tyranus moves in first, with a powerful swing, he swipes to the right. Asajj easy blocks his attack and repels him back. She comps down on with both blades in which he sails to the side avoiding the strike all together. With little time to recover, Asajj ducks her head just in time for Tyranus' blade to swing where her neck would have been.

She spins around quick readying another attack, Tyranus steps back missing her blades by inches. She slashes and swipes growing irritated that her swings aren't connecting. Growing tied of this, she musters up enough hatred to flash out a wave of Force Lighting. Tyranus absorbs the incoming attack with his saber. The energy pushes him back but not enough to lose his footing.

To Asajj's surprise, the Sith reverts her own attack back at her. Flicking his saber, the lighting spews back at Asajj zapping her a few feet back. She tumbles head over heels in the sand before quickly recovering. _He's gotten stronger…_ she dreads internally. _But I can't give up now… not after coming this far._ She shoulders her pain away grabbing her lightsabers once more.

Tyranus approaches stopping ten feet before her readying his saber. He hasn't even broke a sweat and Asajj is already catching her breath. "Come now Jedi… let your anger flow and be your downfall."

She grits her teeth reactivating her sabers, letting out a war cry, she charges for Tyranus ready to silence him for good. Tyranus tenses his body anticipating her attack. Asajj unleashes a combo of slashes much like what she did to him before. Coming in low, aiming high, cutting at his midsection… she does anything possible to lay a fatal hit. This time around, Tyranus is more focus as ever blocking her attacks with the littlest movements with his feet. Timing it right, he pins Asajj's blades preventing her from continuing her ravaging attacks. "You fight well," he comments. "Though like many Jedi, you allow your hatred to take control of you."

Asajj snatches her blades out his lock and slams them down upon him. He sticks his blade out horizontally easy blocking it. "Your technique becomes feeble…" he rants. He uses the Force to push her back coming in with a sudden slash for her mid-section. For the first time in a long time, Asajj feels her heart jerk in fright. She quickly raises her sabers barley blocking the attack. "Your surrounding become blurred…" He breaks away quickly coming around behind her. He lands a kick to her back lunging her to the ground. She lands stomach first into the sand, her sabers fall a few feet before her.

Tyranus switches hands with his saber ready to finish her off. Outreaching her arm, Asajj using the Force grabbing her lightsabers. She then brings her wrists to her mouth speaking into the com-link, "Padawan!" She shouts, "kill them… Ahsoka kill them right now!" Tyranus' foot comes down on her wrists destroying the com-link and crushing her wrists in the process. Asajj lets out a cry in pain as Tyranus turns her over with his boot and uses the Force taking her sabers out her hand.

"What was that?" He demands pointing the tip of his saber at her throat, "what did you say into the communicator?"

A devilish smile grows on Asajj's face following a sadistic laugh "you're too late Sith! You're friends are dead… I just gave the order to my apprentice… she's hacking them into bite size bits right about now." Tyranus expression falls solemnly while Asajj laughs. "You failed them… you lost!"

A buildup of hatred begins to fester in Tyranus, the Dark Side creeps at his doorstep. Killing this Jedi would send him on that tipping point and he knows revenge is the final step to the Dark Side. But it feels right. _It has to be done…_ Tyranus raises his blade slightly over Asajj while she continues to laugh it up. Laughing her last laugh she'll ever endure. With every fiber in him screaming kill her, killer her right now! Tyranus makes up his mind…

_Boom!_ A large explosion shakes the canyon interrupting his focus. At the end of the canyon a large dust cloud bellows following a familiar chant that proceeds death. Tusken Raiders. Taking his saber off Asajj, Tyranus looks as the dust cloud disperses reveling a herd of Tusken riding their Banthas.

At the other end of the canyon, another dozen Tusken appear armed with their rifles and primitive melee weapons. Appearing on the ridge overlooking the sandy chasm Tyranus and Asajj are in, even more Tusken arrive aiming their rifles at the two.

Asajj slowly stands to her feet, "well looks like neither of us are getting out of this," she says to Tyranus gliding her eye on the alarming amount of Tusken looking back at her.

"That is… if we fight them at the same time," Tyranus replies not wanting to use the word 'together'.

Asajj huffs a laugh, "I rather them kill me than fight alongside you," she scuffs.

"Works for me."

Trapped on every possible angle, the lead Tusken lets out a series of chants signaling the others to open fire. Without hesitation, they fire at once.

Tyranus begins to deflect the rounds homing in for him, as for Asajj, she does her best dodging the bombardment of laser bolts. Her acrobatic evasion grabs many Tuskens' attention more so than Tyranus. Disarmed from her sabers, her robe is nicked and grazed with laser bolts, some even skirt across her armored suit underneath. "I need my sabers!" She shouts to Tyranus.

"That is not going to happen," the Sith replies sternly, even under fire by the Turskens. He uses the Force to push a few from the ridges sending them falling to their deaths.

The Tuskens riding the Banthas begin to inch forward concentrating their fire on the two. Asajj's robe is shredded by laser fire. She tears it off exposing her armored suit. She uses the Force hurling a boulder towards the Tusken near the Bantha. It bowls a line right through them ceasing their fire from that end. On the other end, Tyranus continues to deflect the laser fire back at them instantly killing them once the laser bolt cuts a path through their chest.

Sitting on a Bantha at the top ridge, the Chief Tusken lets out another chant. Following his orders, the warrior Tusken on the ridge stop firing and switch to their melee weapons. Made of sharp bone, stone or otherwise sharpen staffs, they sling their long rifles across their backs and slide down into the sandy gorge ready to take on the Sith and Jedi hand-to-hand.

Three converge onto Asajj finding her an easier opponent. They hesitate seeing the Jedi enter her fighting stance. Nervously, they edge ever closer towards her waiting on one to attack. "You three must really want to die…" She taunts.

One of the Tusken wildly swings his cleaver at her missing terribly. The Jedi grabs hold of his wielding arm bending it in the opposite direction. The Tusken wheezes in pain. Another comes in jutting his spear. Asajj drags the one already in her grasp in the path of the spear. The tip end unwittingly drives into the Tusken killing him instantly. She then kicks the one wielding the spear back taking his weapon from him. The third one comes in for a blow with a stone axe. Using the spear, Asajj blocks the head of the axe forcing the Tusken back. Twirling the spear around, she drives the sharpen end into the neck of the one wielding the axe. He drops to the ground like a ragdoll. The last Tusken stands unarmed, frighten to do anything. He desperately tries to land a hit on the Jedi when she quickly Force chokes him snapping his neck like a twig.

Tyranus holds his own against the other Tusken at the end of the canyon who continue to shoot nonstop. He uses the Force shoving the melee Tusken away as he concentrates on the ones shooting. Coming up behind him, one Tusken gets in close enough to stick a fatal blow. That is until a spear impales him through the chest. Tyranus hears the grunt of the Tusken who was hit. He glances over his shoulder seeing the attacker fall dead. "He was in my way," Asajj says almost playfully. She uses the Force grabbing her sabers off of his hip and activates them.

She Force leaps onto the ridge cutting down the Tusken there. Tyranus centers his attention to the Bantha Tusken successfully deflecting the rounds back at them. He then sets his attention to warriors coming at him close. Easily, he defeats them with quick slashes of his saber.

Asajj makes quick work of the remainders on the ridges. The Tusken are quickly losing ground against the pair. Their Chief watches from the top as the Jedi cuts them down one by one. Fearing for his own safety, the Chief spurs his Bantha to move.

Killing his entire faction, Asajj sets her sights on him. "Pathetic," she reaches out with the Force grabbing hold of him. The Chief panics feeling his body being lifted from the saddle of his Bantha. With little remorse, Asajj throws the Chief over the ridge sending him falling to his death.

Looking up, Tyranus sees the Chief crashing down towards him. He steps aside allowing the Chief to meet his death landing face first in the sand. Asajj jumps down to him deactivating her sabers. He too deactivates his and the two stand in silence. Over thirty dead Tusken lay around them along with their Chief. Asajj can't help but smile, the feeling was exhilarating. Her thirst for blood has been quenched and now she hardly holds on to any dark emotions, even with the Sith standing right beside her. "Well that takes care of that," she says.

"Yes, it does," Tyranus turns his head to her. "But one thing remains…" he springs his saber alive. "And you know what that is…"

Asajj's smile fades looking at his gleaming blade then to him, "yeah I do." Out of nowhere, she uses the Force tossing a Tusken's body at Tyranus. He dodges it preparing to attack Asajj when she Force leaps to the ridgeline. "Too bad it'll have to wait for a later time. Mark my words Sith, next time we meet… I will kill you." She then departs and so does her presence.

Tyranus deactivates his saber with her words ringing in his head. At that moment, he remembers his friends. Grabbing his communicator, he tries to contact Jango when nothing comes through on the other end. Nothing at all…

* * *

**Fifteen minutes earlier…**

Qymaen sips on his cup of warm water refurbishing the dryness in his throat. Ahsoka goes back to monitoring their every move with the communicator resting close to her awaiting word from Asajj.

Jango sits nervous, knowing he has a fully loaded blaster armed and ready hidden in his vest. Ahsoka can sense the anxiety radiating off him but doesn't think much of it.

Qymaen stares at Jango in the corner of his eye almost waiting for him to do something. Jango can feel the uneasiness in the air. He swallows calming his gut-wrenching nervousness. Ahsoka has her eyes dead on him while still twirling her lightsaber. Setting a reminder that she can kill anyone of them at any given moment. And Jango knows this. He knows the Padawan can sense his uneasiness that he is trying desperately not to show. Felling her large yellow eyes on him only makes it worse.

Slowly, Jango begins to inch his hand close to the inside of his vest. Qymaen watches from the corner of his eye while sipping his water. His heart begins to pound as well knowing the concealed blaster is sitting right there. Ahsoka narrows her eyes feeling suspicious of their behavior. Jango's facial muscles are flat yet are tensed beyond belief struggling to maintain a neutral face. She sense Qymaen's sudden spike in anxiety as Jango's hand crawls up to his chest. "What are you doing?" She asks.

"Nothing" Jango forces out. He starts scratching his chest, "my chest itches…"

Ahsoka cocks an eyebrow at that somewhat awkward responds. She keeps her eye on him especially. "Then why don't you just take off that long sleeve shirt?" She suggests. "I mean, aren't you pretty warm with that on?"

Jango shakes his head hearing the testiness in the Padawan's tone, "you wouldn't care anyway." Ahsoka doesn't reply but she keeps her eyes on him.

Qymaen sighs lowly in relief knowing Jango just dodge a bullet there. But his relief is short lived when the communicator sounds off with Asajj's voice booming through. "_Padawan!" _She shouts in a pain stricken voice, "_kill_ _them_… _Ahsoka_ _kill_ _them right_ _no_—" her voice immediately ends but everyone in the living room heard her words loud and clear.

Ahsoka takes her feet off the tabletop and grabs her lightsaber. She springs the saber alive making Boba flinch in fright. She rises up from her chair gripping the saber tight in her grasps. Jango's body becomes petrified with fear at the sight of Ahsoka's drastic change in mood. He stares her right in her eye seeing the desire to kill. "Jango do it!" Qymaen shouts. "Do it now!"

Getting out his state of absolute fear, Jango reaches into his vest withdrawing the blaster and aims it Ahsoka. The Padawan's eyes flare in shock. She raises her blade, at the same time, a single round blasts off and everything falls into silence.

* * *

**Someone isn't leaving that living room... question is who? Find out next chapter; also next chapter, introducing a key character in the _Star Wars The Clone Wars _universe.**


	14. Volatile

_**Part I**_

* * *

_Chapter XIII_

**Volatile**

* * *

**Author's note: As you may have noticed, every chapter is now labeled with a heading, as they did not have before. You may have also noticed the _Part I_ over each heading... I'll explain that in the future, in the meanwhile, enjoy this chapter...**

**Just when you thought things couldn't get any worse for Boba, Qymaen and Jango... they get worse.**

* * *

Numbness robs Jango's body. The recoil of the blaster leaves a tingling sensation in his hand. Darkness cloaks his vision and his hearing deafens following the loud bang of the blaster. The humid air around him becomes bitter cold. Every muscle in his body is stiff beyond belief.

An ear scrapping crash brings him back to the realism of what unfolded. Prying his eyelids open, he no longer sees the orange skinned Jedi in front of him. Opening his eyes further, he soon sees the full spectrum. On the floor, the Padawan's body lies with a clear blaster wound to the chest. Apparently, her body had fallen on top the glass tabletop smashing it into pieces. A loom of silence lingers as Qymaen, Boba and Jango stare in utter shock at her limp body, "is she dead?" Boba asks uncovering his ears.

Getting out his chair, Qymaen dares to approach taking Ahsoka's lightsaber out her limp hand. "Looks dead to me," he verifies looking down at her face. "What a waste… so young."

Getting up out the chair, Jango takes a step forward looking down at Ahsoka. She lies motionless, her eyes shut and her face tilted towards the wall. She doesn't look dead at the least, until you see the blaster wound where her heart would be. "We better get out of here," Qymaen speaks grabbing Ahsoka's robe off the chair. He drapes it on the back of his shoulders pulling the sides in to cover his bare chest. "The last thing we need is that bald Jedi coming back to finish the job."

Boba wastes no time getting up off the floor and heading towards the exit leading outside. Qymaen follows behind when he freezes turning back at Jango lingering over the Padawan. "Come on Fett… you had no choice. It was either her or your son…" Qymaen comforts. "Let's get the hell out of here." Qymaen continues up the stairs. Jango's body unfreezes and moves into motion, he gives a last stare back at Ahsoka's corpse before joining his son and Qymaen already outside.

* * *

Anakin has been taken to the Imperial outpost in Mos Eisely, where droid medics treat his injuries as best as they could. The mischief hospital lacks adequate supplies and if they hope to sustain the Jedi's life, they'll have to transport him to the Star Destroyer orbiting above.

Stopping the bleeding from his numerous wounds, Anakin is airlifted off world guarded by a dozen Stormtroopers from the operation room to the transporter. Once he's out their care, the clone captain that had discovered the near dead Jedi receives an instant transmission from Jedi Maser Plo Koon. "…It has occurred to us that General Skywalker has been taken out of action captain?" Plo asks the clone via hologram.

"Yes my Lord, that is correct," the clone replies.

"And what became of his apprentice, Commander Tano?" Plo asks.

"Her whereabouts are still unknown my Lord. Commander Tano's communicator isn't functioning… the last time we had visual of her was when she and Lord Skywalker first arrived."

"I see…" Plo trials off feeling a disturbance penetrating his mind, "send out a search party, find Commander Tano if you can Captain."

"As you wish my Lord," the captain bows his head as the hologram dissipates. He folds the hologram disk in the palm of his hand and slides it into his pocket. At that moment, a Stormtrooper hastily approaches gaining his attention.

"Sir," the trooper starts.

"Trooper…" the captain addresses.

The Stormtrooper removes his helmet and cradles it in his arm, "sir the men are spreading rumors regarding Lord Skywalker."

"Rumors? What kind of rumors?"

"Well, many of them believe that maybe it was the Commander who busted him up… I mean, you know how Jedi can be, you know what I mean sir?"

The captain removes his helmet meeting the trooper's eye, "what makes you think Lord Skywalker's own apprentice would turn against him all of a sudden?" He asks sternly.

"I don't sir," the trooper admits timidly, "I'm saying that's what the others are talking about—the other men, not me."

After hearing that, the captain can see why his men would believe that. After seeing Anakin's hand severed and his body broken beyond anything they've ever seen, it can only be a Jedi's handy work that could've done so much damage. "Well I guess we're gonna find out soon enough…" the captain puts his helmet back on. "Just received orders from Lord Koon, he wants us to search for the Commander."

The trooper's eyes bulge in fright, "he wants _us_ to find _her?_"

"I'm pretty sure he didn't stutter," the captain replies. "Com-on," he slaps the trooper across his chest armor passing him by, "let's gather the others."

* * *

Walking in the bright, sunny desert, Qymaen, Boba and Jango head towards Jango's garage a few meters away from his igloo. The desert is unusually breezy at this time of day. A blue sky with a few white, puffy clouds hover above casting hues of shadows across the sand. The moister vaporizers hum loudly producing a tolerable forecast than before.

Jango straggles behind his son and Qymaen who are far ahead of him. His mind still trapped on what took place in his own home. One moment, his life flashed before his eyes staring at the Jedi's red beaming saber, the next, the Jedi falls dead from a pointblank shot to the chest. Even after the event, Jango can't seem to feel satisfied with his choice. Yeah he saved Qymaen and his son's lives but in the process claimed another. It's been years since he's actually killed someone and in those days, he slept it off like a baby. But this new, old, one-legged scrub of a prestigious bounty hunter can't help but feel somewhat sorry for killing the Padawan. That haunted look on her face when she saw the barrel of the blaster replays in Jango's mind, she knew it was over at that moment. Even as a Jedi, she didn't anticipate that he had an ace up his sleeve. As a way to justify his decision and calm his nerves, Jango continues to repeat in his head, _better her than me and my son…_

Qymaen and Boba reach the garage waiting on Jango to impute the code in the keypad to unlock the door. Before inputting the code, Jango sighs hanging his head low. "Do you think this'll be necessary?" He asks facing Qymaen. "I mean we can just burry her instead. There's plenty of desert out here—the Empire will never discover her."

"It's the _Empire_, Fett," Qymaen stresses wrapping his arms around himself preventing the desert breeze from unraveling the garment covering his naked chest. "And haven't you forgotten that you just blew a Jedi straight to hell? It's the only way."

Giving up the argument, Jango turns around facing the keypad. He inputs the code unlocking the garage door. Stepping back near his son, the three watch as the door curves up allowing them to make out the inside of the garage. Nothing much lies inside, just more junk from Jango's bounty hunter days and few personal finds he's come across over the years.

Qymaen moves inside following Boba, when Jango holds his arm out halting the boy, "keep an eye out on the desert, you see anything holler." The child nods his head as a reply, Jango looks to the entry of the garage touching the blaster into his trousers.

"So where is it?" Qymaen asks shuffling his way through the piles of junk lining the floor of the garage.

"In the back," Jango replies following after him. "All the way, it's under a tarp." The deeper Jango goes through his overly stuffed garage, the more his hearing becomes impaired. "Boba can you hear me?" He calls out to his as a precaution.

"Yeah," the boy calls back, "nothing so far."

Coming at the back of the garage space, Qymaen steps high over a stack of crates where he spots what he has come for hiding under a tarp. He pulls the fabric off revealing four, high yellow canisters with warning labels and stickers decorating them from all over. "Here we go_… incendiary gel_."

Jango finally reaches the back as Qymaen begins inspecting one of the canisters, "carful, that stuffs very combustible when agitated."

"You don't have to tell me," Qymaen replies without looking in his direction. "This'll do." He sets the gallon jug down and turns to Jango. "We take the Jedi's body, the hovercraft… that blaster in your pants," he indicates with a point. "We take all of it… dig a big pit and toss it all in, dump this incendiary gel over it and it'll do the rest. Nothing will remain of the Jedi's body—not even her damn molecules. Way cleaner than a shallow grave out in the middle of nowhere." Jango nods his head still thinking this way of covering their tracks is a little extreme, but necessary.

Qymaen grabs two jugs, "we'll spruce up your place once we're finish."

"Yeah…" Jango bends down grabbing the remaining jugs off the floor.

The two begin to exit the garage, when Boba is no longer standing where he was posted out front. Lowering the canisters in the sand, Jango looks around not seeing his son anywhere. "What's wrong?" Qymaen asks seeing the distress on Jango's face.

"It's Boba… he was standing right here—"

A muffling sound draws both of their eyes to the side of the garage. Slowing inching their way from around the garage, a three eyed, Gran reveals himself holding Boba in a hostage position. The Gran's rough, scaly hand cuffed in front of the boy's mouth. In a quick motion, Jango draws the blaster from his trousers and aims it at the man holding his son.

"I don't think so," the Gran draws a blaster from his holster and aims it at Jango, "drop the gun."

"Not until you let the boy go," Jango replies in a boisterous tone, "please, don't make me kill you…"

Qymaen drops his canisters and reaches for the lightsaber hidden in the inside pocket of the robe. Just as his hand wraps around the cylinder body, he hears the familiar sound of a round being chambered behind his head, "don't do it man," a voice says chillingly, "hands where we can see em'." Complying to the man holding him at gun point, Qymaen removes his hand slowly.

Glancing over at Qymaen, Jango sees the Kaleesh raising his hands above his head. The barrel of a blaster rifle hovering at his back. "Drop the gun now, or your friend here's a goner," the man with the rifle warns.

Locked in another life or death situation, Jango darts his eyes to the Gran still holding his son hostage and in the corner of his eye, he sees the Gran's pal keeping Qymaen from acting. There is no other way out of this. He lowers his blaster, "go on… let it go!" The Gran shouts. Jango allows the blaster to slip out his grasp and fall into the sand.

At that moment, the Gran removes his hand from Boba's mouth and pushes the boy in Jango's direction. "Are you hurt?" Jango asks inspecting his son.

Boba lunges out his father's care angrily, "I don't need your help," he says bitterly without looking at him. "I'm ok." His father simply nods his head.

The Gran approaches plucking the blaster out the sand still keeping his blaster trained on Jango. His partner, a beige skinned Quarren, searches Qymaen's robe removing the lightsaber hidden within. "What?" He chuckles squirming his tentacle beard. "Aye take a look at this—we got a wannabe Jedi on our hands," he mocks to the Gran.

"A Jedi?" The Gran gets a good look at Qymaen, "he has the robes, but I've never seen one so busted up before." Both laugh at Qymaen's damaged face still healing from the lava damage.

"If this is a robbery…" Jango speaks stopping their laugher, "than take what you want and be gone."

"Easy man," the Quarren chimes, "if this was a robbery, all of you would've been dead before you even heard us. We're here because Jabba sent us." Jango knew these men looked familiar. Both wearing camouflage fatigues, combat boots and bandanas straddling around their necks. The stereotypical bounty hunter getup. "But I would've mind taking this lightsaber for myself," the Quarren clips it to his waistband.

"Let's move you three, Jabba is anticipating your arrival," the Gran says holstering his blaster.

"We can't leave," Jango announces.

"I don't think you have a choice," the Quarren replies sternly. "We have orders to bring you in by any means necessary. And if you displease Jabba… well, you know what happens?" He flashes a cold smile.

Glimpsing over at the incendiary gel lying in the sand, Jango hovers between going with the bounty hunters or getting rid of evidence that'll ruin his life forever. "Ok then…" Jango begins walking towards the Quarren, "you tell that slug face, sack of filth that we're too damn busy to be bugged by him!"

The Quarren chirps a laugh, "getting bold old man, you should know better than to insult Jabba."

"I do know better," Jango replies stopping in his face. "And it's me over him," he walks pass the Quarren grabbing two jugs of the incendiary gel. "Now get off my property!" Turning his back to him, Jango can almost sense what is coming next. To his almost surprise, a hard thud knocks him off his feet and to the ground. The blow knocks the wind out of him and keeps him incapacitated.

The Quarren had driven the butt of his rifle into Jango's back angered by his behavior, "then I guess we'll have to _drag_ you there instead. And then, you can say all those things to Jabba's face yourself!" He turns to Qymaen and Boba who look down on Jango struggling to get up, "now let's go, all of you!"

* * *

Arriving at the Igloo, Tyranus parks his speeder nearby and takes his saber into hand. Wasting no time, he darts into the igloo anticipating the worse. By the time he makes it down the steps leading into the leaving room, his worse fears are replaced with confusing. There, in the center of the living space, Ahsoka's body remains on top a pile of glass shards that once were a part of the glass areal table.

Tyranus stares at the corpse for a moment seeing the blaster shot in her center mass. Taking his attention off her, he begins to search the numerous rooms. No one in sight, no one inside. Stepping back into the living room, he looks into the closet where he sees pieces of Jango's blue and grey armor suit. Again, he tries the communicator to contact them. The screeching sound of interference startles him for a moment. The negative feedback of his com-link echoes off another nearby. Lying next to Ahsoka is the communicator Jango contacted him with. He bends down to pick it up and confirms that it is in fact his. He begins to fear the worse, what could've happened that required them to leave everything behind including the body of a Jedi? Jango often plays it safe but this was tacky, extremely tacky.

Before Tyranus can investigate further, he feels an approaching presence itching at his brain. An all too familiar feeling that danger is approaching.

* * *

A crimson sky hangs over the desert as evening approaches. Gliding low, a Dark Legion transport surveys the land below. Onboard are a dozen Stormtroopers tasks in finding Ahsoka. To the troopers' mindset, Ahsoka could be a threat to their safety. So the captain of their squadron, who is referred to as 'Sixer', ordered his men to have their blasters set to stun. Among their ranks is a clone sniper, 'Deadeye' he is often called, leans his head out the open door looking down at the sand dunes passing by.

In the distance, on the starboard side of his transport, he sees something standing out over the dunes. "Sir, over there!" He indicates with a point.

Sixer comes over to see what he has seen. All he can see is something reflecting off the setting suns right into his visor. "Pilot," he calls over Deadeye's shoulder, "take us over, in that direction," he jesters.

"Right away sir," the clone pilot banks the craft in the direction of what peaks their interest. The closer they get, the more they can make out what it is. The clones have stumbled upon the flipped over convertible hovercraft. The smoke has stopped rising from it some hours ago, but it still remains how it has been ever since.

Not taking the risk, Sixer along with three other troopers rappel down on cables to the ground while the transport remains fixed overhead. Deadeye remains in the craft aiming his rifle out along with three other troopers. If anyone poses a threat from out of nowhere, they'll make quick work of them.

Cautiously, the troopers inch towards the wreck holding their rifles at the ready. Sixer is first to reach the craft. With his foot, he kicks it twice just in case some animal may be hiding inside. After nothing happens, he bends down peeking inside. His troopers crouched low scanning the foreground for any strange signs. "Clear," Sixer calls out calming his men slightly.

He steps away from the craft looking up at the transport, "how's the view from up there?" He asks Deadeye via radio. "You see anything?"

"Nothing sir," Deadeye replies. "Sand, sand and more goddamn sand," all the troopers snicker at that very true reply.

In that moment, another trooper, 'Kempo', the one who was talking with the captain back at the outpost, sees something through the window of the craft. "Over there, 9 0'clock…" He diverts every trooper's attention in that direction. Their gaze falls upon an igloo structure that blended well with the tannish scenery.

On the ground, Sixer and his men can't see it due to the way the structure being camouflaged against twilight horizon. "What do you see Kempo?" Sixer asks.

"It's some structure of some-sorts," Kempo replies. "About 900 meters from our current position."

"Go investigate it, we'll rendezvous with ya there."

Drawing the cables up, the transport pitches in the direction of the igloo while Sixer and the other three troopers begin to walk after them.

* * *

Sitting in a dark, murky cell within Jabba's palace, Qymaen paces the blood sticky floor while Jango and Boba sit on the edge of the stiff as cement bed. Jango tries to lay his back against the cobblestone wall, until the pain in his upper back prevents him so. Rubbing it only makes it worse.

The whole time, his son hadn't spoken a single word. Not on their trip here, nor in the cell of which they've been held in for the past three hours. Jango begins to worry if all this emotional trauma with effect his son, "Boba?" He nudges his arm into him trying to get his attention. The boy ignores him, keeping a blank face fixed on the bulky, iron cell door. "Son, are you ok?" Again, he doesn't say anything.

Qymaen stops pacing and leans his head against the rusty wall. "We need to get out of here," he utters. "We need to find a way to escape this place."

"And then what?" Jango speaks, "try to find Tyranus after he's been MIA for an entire day!?" Jango gasps a laugh, "some part of me is starting to believe that bald Jedi killed him."

That statement sticks to Qymaen's eardrums. He turns around giving him a disgusted look, "you have to be kidding me right? You think some random Jedi out of the blue would kill him? Tyranus has fought more of them than you can count."

"I wish I had your faith in him, Qymaen," Jango replies lowly lowering his head. "If he is still alive, then he's probably halfway across the galaxy by now. There's no chance he'll still be on Tatooine. Not when the Jedi know he's here."

"Do you hear what the hell you're saying!?" Qymaen says bitterly. "You're giving up already; after all we've been through?" Jango darts his eyes to the broken tile on the floor, "look, my people have a saying: we don't rest, we won't quit until all breath has left our body. I don't know about you, but you're still breathing to me. For fifteen years you have. The Jedi couldn't kill you then on Kamino and these damn bounty hunters won't do it now."

A lengthy pause lingers after Qymaen's positive morale speech. Boba takes his head out of his hands and looks up to the Kaleesh, "we are going to die here though." He says blankly. He lowers his head back down to the floor.

The lack of emotion in his voice makes Qymaen shudder under his robe garment. Could the boy have already given up faith? Maybe he did back when the Jedi tried to execute them in the desert or when Asajj tormented him in front of his father. Maybe both of those possibilities. Qymaen doesn't raffle his mind too much on the matter, because it'll be pointless. Whatever lies ahead of them from this point on is now unavoidable.

* * *

Darkness has now claimed the Tatooine desert. Sixer and his squadron have discovered Jango's igloo and what they've came searching the desert all evening for. Sixer stands along with Kempo and four other troopers in the living room. The clones stare down at Ahsoka's corpse at their feet. Not believing what he is seeing, Kempo removes his helmet and blinks his eyes numerous times. "She's dead…" he says. "The Commander, a _Jedi_ is dead."

'Jedi dead' in the same sentence sounds like a foreign language to them. Never have they seen a Jedi dead with their own eyes with a blaster shot to the chest. That was unheard of—well, until now.

"I'll contact Lord Koon," Sixer speaks gloomily cutting the silence. "The rest of ya, search this place from top to bottom, 'Samson'," he turns to the clone closest to him who happens to be the specialist of the squadron. "See if you can find out who's the residence of this structure. Report back to me when you have—but not during my face time with General Koon."

Samson nods silently, the rest of the squad break off searching the igloo. Sixer stares back at Ahsoka before taking his leave up the short stairs. A hand lands heavy on his shoulder stopping him, "sir," Kempo starts, "what about the Commander?"

Sixer sighs before speaking, "there's nothing we can do for her, Kempo," he says gravely. "Get 'Willer' and the two of you can load the Commander on a stretcher. We'll have her remains off-world by midnight."

Kempo nods his head putting his helmet back on. Sixer continues outside while his men transform the entire igloo inside out trashing the place trying to figure out who may have killed their Jedi Commander.

Standing a few feet from the igloo next to the grounded transport craft, Sixer takes a breath reaching into his side pocket grabbing the holo disc in hand. He activates it and waits for Plo Koon to take the call. The Jedi finally answers; Sixer straightens his posture at the grainy image. "My Lord…" he addresses.

"Captain…" Plo acknowledges. "I take it that your search for Commander Tano has been a success, because otherwise… you wouldn't dare contact me if it isn't."

"You're right my Lord," Sixer replies ignoring the Jedi's dark tone. "My men and I have found the Commander. But…"

Plo leans in feeling the captain's urging words, "but…?" He leads on.

"She's dead my Lord—the Commander's dead."

"Dead?" Plo recalls collapsing his hands behind his back, "how did she die, Captain?"

"At this point, my men and I don't know, but she looks to have been shot my Lord. Pointblank in the chest."

Plo dips his head for a moment. He releases a sigh arching his shoulders above his head before relaxing. "Well then… keep me updated Captain."

"I will my Lord," Sixer bows his head as the hologram dissipates.

In the Jedi Temple, Plo lingers in front of the hologram table in one of the many chambers. He can't keep the stinging pain of loss from penetrating his heart. Then, just as easy as the feeling of mourning had come, it lifts and is replaced yet again with rage and dark thoughts. Keeping his hands cuffed behind his back, he nonchalantly strives out the chamber and into the hall, not holding a thought of Ahsoka on his mind at all.

Sixer lowers the hologram disk still reflecting on the conversation. Breaking his thoughts, Samson approaches holding a flat-screen datapad. "Sir, I've checked every database known to Man on this place and nothing's shown up of any legal residence or history of anything. Like a ghost lives here."

"Nothing at all?" Sixer replies facing him. "Then what about all that stuff in there? It should belong to someone, someone whose been living there for years."

"Well…" Samson goes back to surfing through the information on the datapad. "There is something I've found…" he says squinting through his helmet visor at the screen. "Judging off the credentials here… it says this place once belong to some woman named Lars, Shmi. But that was nearly thirty years ago."

"And no one else lived here ever since?" Sixer double checks, Samson nods his head as a reply. Sixer shakes his head in defeat when his gaze falls on the four canisters in front of an open garage door. He approaches the canisters brushing the sand off one of them seeing the warning labels over it. Right then, he knew what they are. "Son of a bitch… sick bastards were gonna dissolve her body."

Samson approaches from behind overhearing the Captain talking to himself. He glances away from the Captain to the garage where he sees a surveillance camera hinged to the side. "Sir…" he directs Sixer's attention to the camera.

Behind his headgear, a smile forms on Sixer's face, "well, I guess we're gonna find out who lives here after all…"

* * *

"…Missing? What do you mean _missing, _Tyranus," Sidious questions via hologram speaking to Tyranus who sits in the darkness within his hideout on Tatooine.

"I don't know where they are," Tyranus replies solemnly rubbing his closed eyes.

"So you made it to Mr. Fett's igloo and discovered the Jedi Youngling dead inside?" Sidious recaps. "Umm… your friends are more versatile than I predicted. No wonder you're so tensed in saving them."

"The fact that they killed a Jedi doesn't add to my reasoning, Sidious," Tyranus replies sitting upright in his chair.

"Right, you told me before," Sidious replies coldly. "They are like _family _to you… you see, right there is your downfall. You inflicted too much emotion in your own colleagues and it seems the Jedi are trying to exploit that."

"Try as they might, they will not succeed," Tyranus insures confidently.

"I wouldn't count on that Tyranus. Because here on Courscant, the Jedi are furious." He takes time feeling the Force, he lets out a snicker, "ahh… I can feel their anger festering, so much rage…" The Sith Lord begins to chuckle, it soon falls into an uncontrollable cough. Opening his eyes, Tyranus looks at Sidious jolting with each cough waiting for him to settle down. Finally, the Dark Lord stops his coughing and clears his throat before proceeding, "when you discover that your friends are in fact dead, then there won't be anything blocking you from your true potential."

"You mean fall into the Dark Side?" Tyranus clarifies skeptically, "that day will never come, Palpatine. And if I can resist being converted by my former masters, then I can resist a little longer."

Palpatine grows an ear to ear smirk, "we shall see Force Weaver. We shall see…"

* * *

In the Jedi Temple, Plo Koon is contacted once again by Sixer. In Plo's company is fellow Jedi Master Shaak Ti, the two stand around a hologram projector depicting a three dimensional image of the clone captain. "…We discovered the identity of Commander Tano's murders," Sixer elaborates. "My men and I stumbled across a home surveillance system… Specialist Samson is patching the video feed to you as we speak."

After Sixer finishes his sentence, his image is dubbed over with the surveillance video showing Jango, Qymaen and Boba as they were approaching the garage. Plo narrows his eyes behind his goggles at Jango's face. He pauses the video and zooms in on his face. Behind Jango's beard, Plo is able to find him familiar. "After all these years…" Plo speaks, "he still clings to life."

"And look who he's with... Tyranus' apprentice," Shaak Ti points out.

Plo hits the play button starting the video again. Watching meticulously, nothing takes place since Boba, Qymaen and Jango were out of frame. It isn't until moments later when the two bounty hunters arrive taking the three away. That's when the two Jedi get a sense of the situation. Plo stops the video and looks to Shaak Ti, "take care of this," he says in a monotone. "Bring your apprentice, and this time… finish the job."

"I will my Master," Shaak Ti replies with a bow.

She begins to exit the chamber walking pass Plo, "remember," he says after her. "No mercy."

* * *

Two Gamorrean guards lead Jango, Qymaen and Boba out of their cell, without blindfolds or restraints. An indication that something bad is going to happen. As they are forced to walk forward down the narrow corridor, the sound of music can be heard echoing off the walls. Coming at the end of the corridor, where there is a curvature leading into the throne, the three are shocked as to what is going on.

A cluster of people are on the floor, twirling, bobbing and jumping to the music being played by a small band off to the side. All types of races, big and small, green and blue mingle among one another high on drugs or drunk as can be.

Jango freezes on the steps leading into the mosh pit of bounty hunters, smugglers and numerous of Jabba's mistresses mingling along just for their pleasure. "Looks like we missed our invitations," Qymaen leans a joke.

Emerging from the crowded throne room, a pale skinned male Twi'lek with disfigured head-tails limps their way. One of his hands bent at the wrist and held close to his chest and his posture is crocked at the hip, he holds a strained, tiresome face. "He is here…" he hisses though his slightly open mouth.

"Jabba?" Jango asks.

The Twi'lek moves his head from side to side letting out a pain filled sigh. "The… smuggler," he forces out. "Over there…" he points in the direction. He looks back at Jango before pivoting around and limping his way back from where he came.

The Gamorrean guards depart from behind, leaving them to continue the way. Jango looks to Qymaen and Boba at his side. His son still doesn't look in his direction holding a blank expression. Jango takes the first steps in the direction the Twi'lek pointed.

Weaving his way through the drunken smugglers and bounty hunters, Jango steps across the metal grated opening where he catches a glimpse of the rancor down below. Sitting on their knees on the floor, three of Jabba's skimpy dressed mistresses tease the rancor by dangling shreds of meat through the grated opening.

At the edge of the throne room, there is a more at ease atmosphere. The band switches their tune to a catchy swanky song still keeping the seemingly spontaneous party going. The more mellow galactic criminals take advantage of Jabba's bar located behind the Hutt's throne chair. The Hutt himself is nowhere to be found. It's a little less hectic but the chocking smell of cigarettes and open liquor is overpowering. Celling fans expel the odor everywhere and not even a single cough or gag could be heard from anyone.

Walking through the rows of tables dotting the bar, Jango glides his eyes across all the faces he can make out trying to see who had brought them here. He catches a few gazes, some longer than others. Neither of them give any hint or signal. Jango pauses in the middle of the bar, he turns three-hundred and sixty degrees scanning everything his eyes run across not seeing anyone of interests. Just then, he realizes that his son and Qymaen are no longer following behind and have somehow vanished.

He backtracks the way he came through when he feels someone grabbing him by the arm preventing him from walking any further. One of Jabba's dancers, a lime green woman wearing nothing but panties and a bra has Jango by the wrist. "Where are you off to all-of a sudden?" She playfully asks flashing a smile, "come with me sweetheart," she lightly tugs Jango back into the bar leading him on.

"Excuse me ma'am…" Jango starts, "but I'm here to meet someone…" The woman shushes him still guiding him by the arm. Jango sighs allowing the woman to escort him. She leads him to the far end of the bar where only a handful of people linger about. Walking through a cloud of smoke, Jango makes out his son's high standing hair at the very back near the wall. His son sits alongside Qymaen who sits across from two men of which he doesn't recognize. Sitting and standing around them are Weequay males. Each of them outfitted with bandanas wrapped around their rough skinned foreheads. Their skin pigments range from a light tan to a deep grey. All their eyes fall on Jango as the dancer leads him to the round table that they're all sporadically gathered around.

"Here," the dancer says plainly to the Weequay sitting at the table, "I found your guy, he was wondering around like a lost puppy." She lets go of Jango's arm at the same time the Weequay looks up at her through his goggles and smiles. "You're gonna tip me now?" She holds out her hand expecting something.

The Weequay laughs slightly, "I'll get back to you baby… when I'm on my way out, I promise."

The dancer smacks her lips in disgust folding her arms, "no you won't, liar…" she departs from the table earning a few whistles from the other Weequay men.

"Um, I like em' like that," the goggle wearing Weequay chimes through his thick, heavy ascent, "Jabba's one lucky big, flabby son of a bitch." He gets a snicker from the Weeqauy sitting next to him.

Hovering over their table, Jango remains standing behind the open seat in front of him. The goggle wearing Weequay, who is also wearing a dark blue duster, glances up at him while taking a sip from his glass. He motions to the free seat, "chairs don't bite y'know?"

Slowly, Jango slides the chair out and takes his seat. He places his hands on the table looking to his son and Qymaen sitting to his right. He then glances at the two Weequay to his left, "so what is this all about?" He asks.

"Wow, straight to the point. Not even gonna asks for my name at all…?" The goggle wearing Weequay quizzes. Jango just stares at him in silence, "you do understand Basic right? Because I was afraid that we aren't on the same page," again, Jango doesn't say anything but raises an eyebrow at the Weequay's smart attitude. "Ok then, so I see you're a listener and not a talker, much like your friends here," he jesters to Qymaen and Boba. "My name… well I go by many names—but my given name is Mr. Ohnaka, Hondo Ohnaka—but, Hondo is what everyone calls me."

"Hondo…?" Jango recalls with a hint of familiarity with the Weequay's name. "I've heard of you before… just can't remember when exactly…"

"Well maybe it's because I told you like three seconds ago?" Hondo replies in a dry sarcastic manner. "Or maybe it's Déjà vu?" He lifts his glass again taking a long sip from the brownish liquid swishing around inside. It reeks strongly of rum.

"So you brought us here?" Qymaen questions, "to Jabba's disgusting mound of filth he calls a 'palace'?"

Hondo as well as his Weequay associate laugh inwardly at the Kaleesh's accurate wording of the Hutt's Palace. "That's right," Hondo replies placing his glass on the table.

"How did you know where to find us?" Jango asks somewhat astounded.

"It's our job," Hondo's apprentice answers narrowly. "A third party in our field of employment dropped word on you three. Hell, it was a pain in the ass getting to this planet in the first place let alone tracking you down."

"Why was that?" Jango asks.

"Have you been living in a cave or something?" Hondo says abrasively. "The Empire has like their entire blasted army marching all over the damn place. I mean don't get us wrong, we're use to these types of situations but this is a little too close for comfort."

"So you all came all this way for us?" Qymaen asks.

"And we're gonna leave with you too," Hondo's apprentice replies. "Get you, _beard-wonder_ over here and the kid to a safe house a thousand parsecs in opposite direction."

Qymaen glances to Jango to see what he thinks of this. Jango shrugs his shoulders, "then why are we still sitting here?" Jango asks. "Let's leave now."

"We can't just gather out crap and go," Hondo says. "Were your eardrums disconnected when I said the _Empire_ are all over the goddamn place? Oh, and let's not forget about the Star Destroy that's keeping anyone and _anything_ from leaving."

"It's martial law out there," Hondo's apprentice adds. "No one's getting in or out. It was a fluke that we made it through."

"Then what the hell is your plan to get us off this blasted rock?" Qymaen questions angrily. "I mean you came all this way just to be stuck here like the rest of us?"

"Aye, relax ok. Cut us some slack," Hondo defends. "We're versatile, we'll think of something. In the meantime we just gotta hunker down until the sea calms. And then, we leave." He finishes his drink whole slamming the glass cup down upon the wooden table, "Falso…" he turns his head looking to his second in command next to him, "check on the ship… make sure those annoying midgets aren't trying to dismantle it, but more importantly, make sure Parsel isn't passed out at the controls."

"You got it," Falso leaves their company taking four others of their gang with him down to the palace hanger.

"It's not gonna be easy…" Jango says out of nowhere. "Leaving this world?"

Hondo cocks his eyebrow but keeps a solid face, "what got you sayin' that?" He asks.

Holding out on the answer, Jango glimpses over at Qymaen who is holding the same thought. Jango then puts his attention back on the Weequay waiting for an answer, "you might laugh, but what I'm gonna tell you is true…"

* * *

Arriving back at Mos Eisely, Sixer and his men are back from their mission out in the flatlands. A medical team awaits their arrival to take Ahsoka's body to the Star Destroyer in orbit. At the same time in loading the Padawan's body in the shuttle, Shaak Ti and her apprentice, Barriss Offee disembark from their craft catching the transition of their fallen comrade.

The clone troopers stop everything they're doing and stand attentive as the two Jedi approach the levitating stretcher holding the body of Ahsoka in a blacken body bag. Barriss approaches the body bag drawing her hood back revealing her tattooed lime green face. On her own, she unzips the top portion of the bag and opens it taking a long look at Ahsoka's still face. Her Master hangs back watching her along with Sixer, Kempo and Deadeye.

After she's done viewing her friend's body, she quietly zips the bag over her face and walks back to Shaak Ti's side. "May we continue loading Commander Tano's remains my Lord?" One of the clone medics asks. Shaak Ti gives them the go-ahead with a slight nod of the head. The clones carry on while the two Jedi watch.

"The people responsible for this are going to pay," Barriss grumbles pulling her hood back over her head. "I'll kill every last one of them."

Shaak Ti smiles under her cloak feeling her Padawan's hatred growing. "I failed to tell you on the way…" she begins turning in Barriss' direction. The Padawan doesn't bother looking to her master, for her eyes are locked on Ahsoka being loaded to the shuttle transport. "The man who killed Padawan Tano and robbed her of her saber was no other than the Sith's own apprentice. The one we encounter on Mustafar?"

Hearing her master's words, Barriss slowly turns her head to Shaak Ti. Without even saying anything, the Jedi Master can feel the static from her Force Lighting tickling the air between them. Her apprentice's frustration and anger double over. The grin on Shaak Ti's face strains to the point that the corners of her mouth begin to sting.

In a strong stride, Barriss marches away carrying the weight of hatred on her shoulders. Shaak Ti hums a low laugh knowing her apprentice will stop at nothing at this point.

"My Lord," Sixer approaches the Jedi Master, "we are now in your command. My men and I are ready to move out once you give the word."

"Are the transports ready?" Shaak Ti asks.

"Yes My Lady. Three, as you requested," Sixer replies.

"Excellent, we are ready to proceed as plan then."

* * *

"…You three dumbasses dropped a Jedi!?" Hondo quacks at Jango. The two stand on the drop ramp of his ship in Jabba's hanger bay. "No wonder this planet is crawling with those plastic suits, it's because _you_ wasted one of their own… and a blasted Jedi at that!"

"Calm down," Jango says trying to cool of the frantic Weequay as he paces up and down the ramp holding the back of his head with his hands.

"Calm down?" He flares stopping in his pacing, "how can you say that when you just told me that you murdered a Jedi? No one hasn't done that since the Old goddamn Republic! See if I knew what kind of crap you three we're in… I wouldn't have taken up this job."

"You said that you're a man who gets people out of sticky situations?" Jango brings up.

"Yeah, but not from blasted Jedi!" Hondo restates, "ya see—we don't mess with Jedi. Those are the only people you don't screw with because they kill everything that's living!" For some reason, Jango found his statement awfully familiar. "I mean, if a wall was a living breathing thing… they'll kill the hell out of it you know why? Because it's alive! And that's what Jedi do, they kill everything that moves—they'll kill the air if they could."

"Ok! I get it," Jango stresses. "Believe me, I know exactly where you are coming from. But now's not the time to panic. Now's a time for action."

A long pause comes between the two while in the backdrop, Hondo's men are busy making repairs on the ship's hull and filling the cargo hold with supply crates. Jango keeps his eyes locked on the Weequay's until Hondo nods his head, "ok, you're right. Time for action."

Jango pats him on the shoulder before descending the ramp going back to his son standing near a stack of crates. He begins to worry about Boba, the boy hasn't said a single line ever since the two bounty hunters abducted them from their home. Before he could reach his son, Qymaen cuts in his path, "well, what did he say," the Kaleesh asks.

Jango focuses his eyes on Qymaen's droopy face, "he's prepping his men for takeoff. Soon, we'll be home free."

He tries walking pass Qymaen when he stops him again, "did you tell him about Tyranus?"

Jango shakes his head, "like I said before Qymaen, he's gone halfway across the galaxy by now. As will we be." With nothing else to say, Qymaen allows Jango to pass him by.

Boba stands leaning his back against a column of crates with his arms folded. He notices his father approaching in the corner of his eye but doesn't bother looking up at him. "We're getting ready to leave," Jango says. "Hondo is getting his ship ready… we'll be safe soon."

A scorning look manifests on Boba's face. He takes a breath easing the tension he is feeling, "you say that all the time," he says irritated. "'Boba, we'll be safe here… Boba, stay with me and nothing will happen'," he mocks. He unfolds his arms and finally looks his father in the eye, "you say that all the damn time and when you do, something bad always happens." Jango fells his heart freeze over at his son's tone, Boba continues, "you kept saying that you'll keep Tyranus and Qymaen from coming in and out our home but you kept letting them. Now look at us, we're homeless thanks to you—thanks to them!" His eyes begin to sting but he refuses to cry, "you almost died, dad. I was almost killed, Qymaen… it's all your fault for letting Tyranus in our lives in the first place!"

"Boba…" Jango begins trying to mask the lump in his throat. He knells down to his son's height, "I need you to know that I care about you more than anything. It wasn't my intentions to keep putting you in harm's way." He pauses wiping his nose with his finger, "but I also need you to understand that I owe Tyranus. He's entirely in my debt that if it weren't for him…" he pauses again knowing that he shouldn't continue. "That if it were not for that man, I wouldn't be here with you now." A single tear drops from Boba's red face. His father gently wipes it away, "don't cry son," he says. He stands up putting a hand behind Boba's back nudging him to walk, "now let's leave this place, for good this time."

Nearby, Qymaen helps Hondo's men return the supplies back into their ship as the pilot, Parsel, starts the takeoff sequence. "Com-on! Chop! Chop— Vamos!" Hondo shouts to his men still hauling in supplies.

While carrying his crate along, Qymaen sees the Quarren bounty hunter walking alongside him. "Thanks for the gift you brought," the bounty hunter tease flashing the lightsaber Qymaen got off Ahsoka.

"Please, cut yourself with that for me," the Kaleesh replies in a joking matter. The Quarren laughs wiggling his tentacle beard. Qymaen starts his way towards the ramp, when in the corner of his eye, out in the open hanger bay doors. He sees something approaching hugging the night sky. The smile on his face fades once he centers his gaze on three Dark Legion transports homing in on them.

Before he could react, a sudden blast knocks him of his feet following a blinding green band of light. Crates and debris scatter the hanger. The hanger is in disarray following a blast from the transports. Flames spring up zigzagging across the bay floor.

Hondo's ship remains unaffected, for now. The Weequay comes running out the ship stopping at the top of the ramp looking out at the flaming, destroyed hanger. "What the hell's going on?" He asks aloud.

"It's the Empire!" One of his men cries out from inside the ship. "They've found us!"

The Imperial craft come through the hanger door allowing the clone troopers to rappel down. Without mercy, they begin shooting anyone in sight. A dozen bounty hunters present in the hanger fight back as well as Hondo's Weequay gang.

The initial blast separated Jango from his son as he gathers himself off the floor during the close quarter battle raging around him. All he sees is smoke and nothing more with red laser streaks zipping by his head. Looking around him, he tries to son amongst the chaos. "Boba… Son where are you!?"

Sixer and his men are laying waste to Hondo's gang and bounty hunters alike. Looking outside the open door of the transport, Barriss tries to get a visual of Qymaen. Sensing through the Force, she knows he is near. Gliding her eyes, she spots the Kaleesh recovering off the floor. Without hesitation, she leaps off the craft and onto the floor. Swiftly, she makes her way towards him ignoring Hondo's men and the bounty hunters fighting right in her path. Nothing robs her gaze as she continues, closing in on her adversity…

Breaking her concentration, the Quarren bounty hunter springs his lightsaber alive and attempts to slash at the Padawan. In a flash, Barriss activates one of her sabers blocking the bounty hunter's attack and then activates her other, on which she twirls around severing his head from his shoulders. Instantly, she replenishes her attention back on Qymaen who is no longer in the same spot as to where she saw him.

Two other bounty hunters approach from behind aiming their weapons at Barriss. Neither of them are able to shoot since they begin feeling a tremendous weight on their necks. Soon after, they are gasping for breath. Their bodies lifted off the floor until the sound of their necks snapping ends their suffering. Dropping the two bounty hunters down, Shaak Ti steps over them.

"He's near," Barriss says. "I can feel him…"

Just a mere feet from the Jedi, Qymaen seeks cover behind a large stack of crates right in front of them. He knows they are right on him and it's only a matter of time when they discover him. With the lightsaber out of reach, he can only rely on a blaster rifle he'd picked up from one of Hondo's men who lie dead nearby. Hugging the weapon close to his chest, his heart pounding hard against it, he anticipates his move to swing out and begin firing.

On the opposite side, Barriss senses the anxiety radiating from her target. "Found him," she says. Before Qymaen could act, the Jedi cracks an arch of Force Lighting at the crates knocking them from placement. Qymaen ducks to the floor covering his head from the falling boxes toppling over his head. The blaster rifle flies out of his grasps leaving him defenseless.

The Jedi uses the Force turning him over on his back. Unable to free himself from the hold, all he can do is await his faith. Keeping her hold on him, Barriss readies one of her sabers to end him for good this time. With the short red beam just inches from Qymaen's chest, the Jedi sudden steps back. "No…" she sighs dryly deactivating it, "too quick." She clips the saber to her waistband and condenses both her hands together focusing her Force energy around the Kaleesh's head, slowly crushing his skull in.

Standing behind her apprentice, Shaak Ti watches as Barriss literally crushes the life out of Qymaen. Erupting all around the Jedi, their clone troopers continue shooting at the bounty hunters and the Weequay gang who are putting up a somewhat equal fight.

Coming up behind Shaak Ti, a Weequay aims his blaster for her and fires a single round. Without even looking in his direction, the Jedi springs her saber alive deflecting the round right back dropping him like a ragdoll.

A stream of blood begins to pour out of Qymaen's nostril and his reddish brown face transforms into a light purple. He can hear the bone beneath his skin crackling like an egg, and the pain is unimaginable. The Kaleesh was just about to give out when a sudden blaster bolt fires from out-of-nowhere and hits Barriss in the arm. Her hold on Qymaen's body is cancelled sparing his life.

Neither Jedi were aware of Boba standing to their left holding a blaster pistol at them. It was he who fired that shot. He remains where he stands pointing the weapon at them. Both can sense that he won't pull the trigger again.

"Run boy!" Qymaen barks at him, "run now!"

Locked in place, Boba's eyes grow large seeing Shaak Ti approach with her saberheld in front of her. He shoots and shoots but it's no match to the Master Jedi's skill in deflecting the rounds before they could hit her. She Force pushes Boba back into a wall. His back lands flat against the surface whiplashing his neck. The blaster jolts from his hand and out of reach. He slides down to the floor at the same time Shaak Ti approaches standing over him.

"No! " Qymaen cries out still lying on the floor, "don't you touch that boy you Jedi rat!"

The Jedi snickers hovering the tip of her saber at Boba's face. Barriss stands nearby tending to her injured arm. Shaak Ti can sense Qymaen's feelings for the boy as she turns her gaze to him. Right there at that moment, Qymaen's body goes numb for he recognizes the orange skinned Togruta Jedi.

Knowing she got his attention, Shaak Ti drives her saber into Boba's stomach. The boy cringes letting out a silent cry. "We loss one of ours… you loss one of yours," Shaak Ti takes her blade out of Boba. He slumps over on his side gasping for air. The last thing he sees is Qymaen's haunted face then blackness.

* * *

Far from the chaos erupting on Tatooine, the planetary shuttle holding Ahsoka's remains has left the atmosphere and is now in orbit nearing the Star Destroyer. Two clones occupy the ship, one of the clones stumble to the back where the Padawan's body lies on a table, still covered in the body bag. The clone goes over the sink adjacent to Ahsoka's body. He begins washing his hands, when behind him, he hears raffling. Turning his head slightly, he looks to the body bag which remains undisturbed. He focuses back to his hand washing when he is startled by sudden thrashing.

Spinning around, he sees the bag raffling like mad. He rushes over to it and hesitates before opening it. Finally with his hands shaking, the clone unzips the bag, a gasping breath escapes and to the clone's uttermost shock, Ahsoka jolts upright breathing rapidly. Her widen eyes dart sporadically before stopping on the clone's pale face. The clone backs away slightly shaken up, "ok..." he utters, "didn't see this comin'."

* * *

**Next chapter teaser: Boba clings to life; Maul and Savage face a new, formidably enemy. **


End file.
